


Trust Me, I’m McDanno

by UnchartedHeart



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Medical, Bromance, Bromance to Romance, Doctor/Patient, Falling In Love, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, M/M, Male Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-03-14
Packaged: 2019-02-26 08:51:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 29,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13232289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnchartedHeart/pseuds/UnchartedHeart
Summary: I’d been itching to write something for a long time. I wrote this as a mental health break during revision for my final medical school exams. So if there are any medical inaccuracies, God help my patients





	1. My First Day

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mcdanno](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcdanno/gifts), [Danno_Fan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Danno_Fan/gifts).



Danny looked up into the bathroom mirror. What he saw made him feel sick all over again. There were bags under his blue eyes, tight lines of worry sketched across his brow which was wet with sweat and sink water. He’d splashed his face clean, but there were still some particles of vomit around his mouth. Danny frowned, spat in the sink and grabbed another piece of blue roll from the roll to wipe his mouth. 

Luckily, he’d avoided getting sick on his scrubs.

What the hell had he been thinking. All those years ago, before he’d packed up his life to go to med school. Be a doctor, make lots of money, get Grace whatever she wanted for Christmas and... 

This wasn’t helping.

His first day... why wasn’t it like the movies? He’d had patients shout at him, nurses shout at him to write up fluids, and worst of all... he’d felt like a complete fraud. All these sick patients, desperate for a real doctor... and instead they’d got Danny. 

Danny didn’t realise that he’d slumped down on the low benches of the changing rooms with his head in his hands. He glanced at the locked with his name on it. He could practically see his ordinary clothes in there, luring him back to his old life of a cop, or anything except this. He could just go home, go back to his crummy apartment in Waimanalo and pretend that this was all a bad dream. He could even get some malasadas for him and Grace, lie and tell her that his first day had been great, forget about all the exams he’d been through, sleepless nights studying, prepping, reading papers... Forget why he did it all, to go to bed every night and know that he’d made a small difference... 

Which is what it came down to really. 

*MEDIC FIVE TO RESUS, MEDIC FIVE TO RESUS*

Danny’s ear twitched. A very sick patient, being brought in by ambulance, probably unconscious, in cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest, renal failure... with a family somewhere, worried about them. 

Danny bit the bile down and made for the door.


	2. Help Me, I’m Steve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I often wonder what patients think of me.
> 
> Am I helpful enough? Am I kind enough? Do they like me? Should they like me?
> 
> Life is tough for all of us, and a bit of love goes a long way, even if it’s only a flicker.
> 
> So this is for them.

Danny looked down at the unconscious man on the stretcher, a six foot mass of tanned skin, muscle and tattoos. His clothes had been hastily cut open. The ED nurses were already swarming over him, attaching oxygen and ECG pads to the bare skin of his chest. Danny took a minute to breathe, wiped his sweaty palms on his scrub pants, and - - 

 

A - airway patent and unobstructed  
B - chest moving equally... slow rate... breath sounds equal, high flow oxygen via non-rebreathe mask  
C - pulse regular... but faint, blood pressure 140/100, ECG showing sinus bradycardia... 

The senior nurse gave Danny a curt nod, then said,

“35 year old male, brought in by ambulance following a traumatic head injury, previously fit and well, no medication or allergies, works with the Five-O task force.”

“He - he needs a cannula,” Danny stammered. The senior nurse looked up at him. 

“Well, would you do us the honours, Doctor?” He drawled, eyes full of barely concealed disdain. 

“I’m s-sorry, I didn’t mean... I’ll go get it.” Danny blushed. He stumbled over to the crash trolley, grabbed a handful of cannulas and rushed back to the bedside. 

The man’s arms were roving around a little, searching for something, someone to grab onto. 

“C-could... could someone help me?” Danny almost whispered. One of the junior nurses looked up, a tiny Filipino woman, and she came to Danny’s side and said,

“Hello Doctor, my name is Sabi. How can I help you?”

“Em, could you hold his arm still a little?” Danny replied, a little surprised that someone was being nice to him. 

With Sabi’s help, Danny got the tourniquet on and lined up the cannula alongside a vein. His hands were shaking, his mouth went completely dry and there was no way that this needle was going to get inside of this vein unless - -

The patient’s hand broke free of Sabi’s gentle grasp and latched onto Danny’s, his fingernails digging in so hard that Danny almost yelped in pain. 

“...help...” the patient moaned, his deep brown eyes snapping open for a moment and seeking out Danny’s. Danny thought of Grace, when she’d fallen last weekend and skinned her knee, and he thought of how their eyes looked almost exactly the same in that moment. His heart swelled and his mouth opened on its own accord as he slid the cannula confidently into the vein, and he said,

“You’re okay, you’re safe. I’m Danny, the doctor, and we’re not going to let go of you.” Danny put his hand over his, rubbing soothing circles on the back of his hand. A patient wristband there said,”Steven McGarrett”. 

“We’ve got you... Steve.”

Steve muttered something that sounded like “Danny” but it was lost in the noise of the ECG and he closed his eyes.


	3. An Ear to Listen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story continues...
> 
> It makes me so happy that already 500 people have read my words... that’s incredible :) 
> 
> I apologise for how long it takes me to write anything. This story will have a good few chapters left, and I will finish it for you lovely readers. 
> 
> I want it to do the story and you guys justice!

_Ward rounds... they should call them bored rounds. Hehe._

“Dr Williams, would you like to introduce the next patient?”

The group of five senior doctors swivelled their heads towards Danny.

_Oh no._

“Errr, I mean, yes - of course!” Danny led the way to the next ward bay, his thoughts racing over the useful information he could remember.

“Room 5: Mr Steven McGarrett, 35 year old male who suffered a traumatic head injury a week ago and been in a deep coma since. Works for the governor of Hawaii on some special task force. GCS on admission 7/15 so we ventilated him. CT head showed... acute left extradural haematoma and midline shift. We’ve evacuated the bleed, optimised his ventilator settings, kept him well sedated with phenytoin and are doing neuro observations every 3 hours.”

Dr Gestav, the lead consultant and a notorious quizmaster, adjusted his spectacles delicately. “Can you tell me Dr Williams why the ventilator settings are as they are?”

Danny was ready for that one. Grace had helped him look it up on Wikipedia in case Dr Gestav asked him about it.

“It’s important to keep the carbon dioxide at that level to sustain vasodilation and cerebral perfusion as the intracranial pressure has risen via the Munro-Kelly doctrine.”

_Phew. Nice one, Danno._

Dr Gestav smiled like a wolf in a chicken coop. Danny did not like that smile.

“Very good... but what does the latest research say about therapeutic hypothermia? You have read my latest paper in the Lancet, haven’t you, Dr Williams?” He drawled.

Danny hated this bullshit - this was not why he became a doctor. But instead he replied,

“Sorry Dr Gestav, I haven’t read it yet but I will make sure I do this afternoon.”

Dr Gestav smiled that smile again. Danny winced.

“I’ll test you on that tomorrow. And how about the patient’s GCS today?”

That one took Danny by surprise. “The - the GCS, sir?”

“Yes Dr Williams, or haven’t you been monitoring that? What medical school did you go to again?”

The whole brigade of hyenas with stethoscopes howled at that one. The senior doctors peeled away, leaving Danny looking at his shoes.

_Some days, I could just..._

Danny started as he heard a soft thump. He whipped his eyes to the patient - Steve - and saw that Steve’s bandaged head had flopped down into a different position on his pillow.

“Hey buddy,” Danny said softly into Steve’s ear. “Boy, am I glad to have you to talk to or I’d go completely nuts in here! You know what I love about you most? You’re such a good listener!”

Danny chuckled as Steve remained completely silent. Danny had gotten into the habit of chatting to Steve whenever he was on shift. He never got a reply, but the air in the room changed, became more friendly. His ma had always said that your hearing was the last thing to go.

“The strong, silent type, huh? Okay, I get that. I actually find that kind of attractive, in a man crush kind of way. Like those old cowboy movies. But let me know when you wanna talk. I bet you have some really good stories to tell. Like that Governor, is he as much of a dick as my boss there?”

A gentle sea breeze trickled in through the open window and... Steve made a soft sound in his throat, opening his eyes.

Danny’s eyes widened in surprise and he could have swore his mouth dropped to the floor.

“...eeep...” said Danny, tactfully.

A fist shot out from nowhere, like a bullet, and made contact with Danny’s jaw with a crack, whipping his head around.

“....fleeeeep...” said Danny tactfully, as he fell unconscious


	4. Roll with the Punches

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this has been the most fun I’ve had in ages :)  
> Unedited, like me!

It hurt to talk. It hurt to chew. A visit to the ER and a tonne of paperwork. Followed by a week off, _yes_ , which Danny had to admit had been nice. But it would’ve been nicer if he could’ve enjoyed something with Grace other than shave ice through a straw.

Danny made his way to the ward, ducking his head as he past his room. This was his first day back, he was on-call and he just wanted to make it through the day without —

“ _ **SURPRISE!!!”**_

Danny stopped in his tracks in the door to the MDT office as he took it in.

All of the nursing staff, physios, occupational therapists and healthcare assistants, piled into that one tiny room with the handover board. All of them were wearing boxing gloves. Some had painted on black eyes with makeup. And in the centre of the room was a massive cake iced with the sardonic slogan:

“ _Congrats on winning the big fight, champ!_ ”

It took Danny about ten seconds to find the humour in the situation, but when he did, he laughed for the first time in the longest time. He laughed until tears fell from his eyes and he went beetroot red in the face. Say what you want about healthcare staff, but they have a wicked sense of humour.

Clara, the booming senior nurse stepped forward with her characteristically stoic face and said,

“I just want you to know, Danny, that we take violence in the workplace _very_ seriously here. There’s no need to inform HR about any sort of bullying.” She then joined in with the laughter.

Danny’s heart fell just for a moment when she said bullying and he immediately thought of all the people who made him feel small, incompetent, useless... then he fought it back with a smile.

“Oh, and Doctor Danny?” asked a tiny voice from within the fray of scrubbed bodies. A bird like Maui guy called Sal came forward. “The patient in Room 5 said he’d like to see you when you have a minute.”

The room went quiet and Danny knew his rep hung in the moment of his reply.

“Well... I’d better borrow someone’s boxing gloves then!”

Danny left the room amidst fresh laughter and thanked God that he hadn’t gone into Police Academy after all. Refreshed and much more relaxed, he made his way to meet his perpetrator.

*

The door to 5 was open and Danny stepped into the room, washing his hands with the gel on the wall.

This room got good light, Danny mused. It felt bright and cheery, full of fresh air and the gentle scent of the dozen red roses from beside the patient’s bed, where Steve sat propped up, eating a banana.

Steve stopped munching when he saw Danny, wiped his mouth and said, “mmarrfff” through the banana mush, and beckoned him closer. Danny’s Doctor rhetoric began automatically.

“Good morning, Steve, I’m so glad to see you up and about today, we’ve all been very worried about you. How are you feeli—“

“ _M’sorry_.”

Danny stopped mid-spiel and realised that Steve was looking down at his hands with dewy eyes, his face a jungle of lines and worry. In that moment Danny forgave and forgot everything.

“What on earth are you sorry for?” Danny asked. “If you mean the punch, forget about it, I’ve had much worse from drunks in A&E, plus I got a week off to chill.”

Steve’s eyes softened and came up to meet Danny’s. Deep pools of distracting brown with just a hint of sorrowful grey. Steve gave a great big sigh that nearly deflated himand replied,

“I’m supposed to protect and serve. Instead I nearly busted the jaw of one of the people trying to keep me alive.”

_Ah, military. Figures._

Danny folded his arms across his chest, making his stethoscope sway.

“Yes, but I’m supposed to help people no matter what, even if they’re swearing at me, biting me... and Steve in your defence you’d just woken up from a week’s coma, you probably thought you were still in whatever kind of trouble you were in when you got hit... Speaking of which, I gotta ask Steve, I know you’ve got these lovely flowers and all, but if there’s someone at home who’s beating you up, was somehow involved in this... You can tell me, okay? I’m not just a walking prescription pad, I’ve been about, seen my share of things, and I honestly do just want to help.”

Danny looked up to see Steve on his feet getting dressed, to his horror. Caught between surprise and embarrassment to see his patient half naked in front of him, Danny managed to stammer, “Uhm, Steven. What are... what’re you doing?”

“I gotta go help at work,” Steve replied, like it was the most natural thing a human has ever done after waking up from a coma. He struggled to pull his t shirt over his head with the IV lines running and managed to put his head through an arm hole.

“Damnit!” he swore angrily. “Danny, I could use a hand here? Can you disconnect these lines for me?”

Danny had never been faced with this kind of situation before, and his brain hummed and pulsed for an answer.

“Steve, _as your doctor_ , I have to tell you that this... this is a really _stupid_ idea.”

“Are you gonna take these out or not?” Steve asked, gesticulating at his cannulae.

“Oh, but that one took me ages to get in... Okay that is _so_ not the point I need to be making...”

Steve pulled out the cannulae himself, barely flinching as they tugged at his flesh.

“Thank you for looking after me, Dr Danny, but trust me when I say I have got to be back at the palace in the interest of our country’s safety.” And with that comment, he brushed past Danny, making for the door.

“ _ **Please**_!”

It came out as what some would call a desperate plea, but Danny did not give a flying hoot in that second.

“Please, Steve... Please don’t go...” It was Danny’s turn to use his puppy dog eyes, and they stopped the great Steve McGarrett in his caterpillar tracks.

“Steve, I’m just so worried that if you leave now, and you rebleed into your brain... you might not make it next time. You’ve been... the _luckiest_ man in the world to be even standing now. I know that legally I can’t stop you and Steve for Christ’s sake look at you, I couldn’t stop you if you tried... but... _please_ stay... for me?” 

Steve’s eyes reflected upon this as he stood still in the doorway, the very picture of a soldier going off to war, bag of belongings tossed over one shoulder.

“Hmmmm. You make a good point. But, no, my team need me. You can keep the flowers though, Dr Danny—”

“Call me Danno, all my friends do... And please, at least sign a self-discharge form. It tells you when you need to come back, early warning signs and so on... Please read it.” Danny exhaled, feeling exhausted already.

“Okay, _**Dr Danno**_ , I’m sure I’ll be seeing you soon!” Steve replied, giving Danny a mock jab to the jaw. For the briefest moment, their skin made contact. And it felt to Danny that someone switched off gravity, for the hair’s breadth of a second.

_Oh, hell._


	5. Tequila, Babe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this drunk / hungover on a plane. Send oral rehydration salts or more tequila. Either is good.

Friday night. At last. 

Danny’s face twisted into a sour grimace as he downed the fourth tequila shot in a row with some of the nurses from his ward. Okay, he definitely wasn’t 21 any more, because goddamnit the room was already gently spinning. He knew that tomorrow morning, for the first morning in weeks, he could be hungover. No work. Grace was having a sleepover with one of her friends... Iolani? Eyeolanee. Danny’s only responsibility tomorrow was being a groggy mess of golden hair and maybe making maple and bourbon pancakes if he could manage to stand upright and operate a stove.

Though she be little, she is fierce, Danny thought to himself, while he watched Ruby navigate the small dance floor in a pair of heels so high it made Danny wince. It’s always a funny feeling to see work colleagues out of uniform, especially Junior Sister Ruby, who normally was timid around all but the most junior doctors. Danny supposed that even though young people working in healthcare were usually more mature than their non-medical peers, at the end of the day it was the beginning of the night, which meant alcohol and drugs and everything in between. Ruby sashayed her way over to Danny, mouthing and gesturing do you want to go for a smoke? Danny nodded. He could use some fresh air... wrong choice of words.

Ruby gave Danny a beaming smile and grabbed him by both hands, pulling him through the sickly nightclub air towards the smoking terrace. Danny narrowly avoided several head on collisions and spilt a few drinks on his way, but somehow managed to make it in one piece to the door. Cold air leapt to meet Danny’s face as he stepped into the night’s embrace. 

Inhale, exhale. 

“Danny, can I ask you a favour?” Ruby asked, pulling a coy face at him.

“Uh, yeah Ruby, what’s up?” Danny asked, a little off guard at her friendliness and charm.

“Can you roll for me? I know it’s really silly but I’ve never learned cos guys usually do it for me,” Ruby said, giggling and blushing. 

Danny looked down at the tobacco, and in his mind he saw the faces of several lung cancer patients he’d looked after, looking back at him, looking after him now. Then he thought back further, back to when his dad taught him how to roll a cigarette, back to when he used to do it for the other kids in school for a quarter, back to when he used to roll the tightest blunts in his neighbourhood as a young man. He hesitated, wanting with all his heart to throw the filthy muck into the wind. But Danny was the new kid on the block, on the ward, and he really wanted people to like him, for once. And just like that, he was suddenly and inexplicably thirteen years old again. 

“Sure, I got you. I’ll show you how to and then you’ll never be stuck waiting on a man again.” Ruby broke into a beaming smile and Danny bit back the bile in his throat as he started to roll the thin paper. And then he felt a warm hand in the small of his back.

“Well, Dr Danno, I must say that you’re nothing if not full of surprises.”

Danny whipped around at the voice, his heart in his throat, and found his gaze locked into the handsomest pair of eyes he’d ever seen.

Can eyes be handsome?

“I mean, it’s not exactly sending a positive message to your patients to be standing out here smoking, is it?”

Danny took a minute to find his lower jaw on the ground. Steve gave out a huge chuckle, booming and hearty, his dark eyes sparkling and crinkling with delight. 

“I - I - Steve? What the hell are you doing here?” Danny stammered.

Steve grinned again. “Same thing as you, Dr Danno, oh, but minus the smoking part.”

Danny blushed crimson and Steve laughed harder. “I wasn’t - I don’t -“

Shit fuck Danny you went to med school, use your big boy words.

“Steve, you really shouldn’t be drinking a week after a head injury. Alcohol is an anticoagulant in acute amounts and it could cause haemorrhagic transformation of the swollen tissue.”

Yes that’s it, but please god be less of a goof.

Steve just smiled again. “Don’t worry, Dr Danno, I’m being good I swear.” It might’ve been the tequila, but Danny swore he saw a playful mischief in those eyes. “I’m actually here for work, following up on a lead.”

Ruby, still waiting for her cigarette, cleared her throat and winked at Steve.

“Hi, I’m Ruby, it’s nice to meet you, handsome,” she drawled. Danny blushed on her behalf. Steve’s attention swivelled to Danny’s co-conspirator.

“Hey Ruby, I’m Steve. I love your dress. I hope you don’t mind if I steal Dr Danno from you for a minute, do you? I promise I’ll give him back. Also smoking is ridiculously bad for you, just so you know.”

Ruby’s face swirled into confusion. “Oh, Steve, I don’t mind at all... But you should know, he just likes Danno. He never lets anyone call him Doctor.” And with a giggle Ruby was gone into the heave and swell of intoxicated bodies once more. 

Danny turned to Steve and made a face.

“What?” Steve asked, genuinely perplexed. “What did I say, Danno?”

“What did you - I’m not even going to answer that or dignify it with a response. No wait, actually I will. You know why? Because, Steve, I’ve been worried about you for the last week, waiting on you turning up in A&E in another coma... or worse... I even came in to work on my day off on Wednesday, and do you know why?”

Steve, looking equal parts contrite and playful, leaned in closer. “Why, Danno?”

“Because - fuck - because - don’t - Steve I bloody looked after you when you were in a coma and we worked so hard to save your life, and then, then you - fuckity fuck - just walk out of there like it’s no big deal. And apart from being in a shitload of trouble with my dickhead boss, Steve I just wanna - don’t you - look after you because you clearly don’t give a rat’s ass about your own health.”

Danny stopped for breath, and he realised that his cheeks were wet and the smoking terrace had went very quiet. 

Strong arms encircled Danny’s waist and pulled him close onto a soft shoulder. A warm musk clung to Steve’s clothes from a day of work and a hint of some aftershave Danny couldn’t place. He knew that everyone would be watching, but he didn’t give a crap in that moment. He just hugged Steve back and sobbed into his shirt.

Steve’s hand made gentle circles on Danny’s back and in his ear he heard Steve murmur softly, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry...”

Eventually, as they always do, Danny’s tears ran dry. The embarrassment started to kick in, and he extricated himself from Steve’s embrace, making a beeline for the door.

“Danny - wait. Please.”

Danny stopped in his tracks and let Steve pull him into a quiet corner. “Steve... I’m sorry. That was really inappropriate. I’ve just had so much on at the minute. I shouldn’t have said, well, any of that. My boss is definitely not a dickhead and in fact is a really good doctor.”

Steve gave Danny a small smile that was like a Christmas present in January. Late but still a gift. “Do you really think that, Danno?”

Danny gave a raspy laugh back. “Oh my god, Steve, he’s such an asshole!” They collapsed into a fit of giggles at that. 

Wiping fresh tears from his eyes, Danny said, “Oh, shit, Steve, have you had your stitches looked at yet?”

“Errr, Danno, I think we both know the answer to that one...” Steve replied, looking at his shoes.

Danny tutted, but let it go, this once. “Well, c’mon, let me have a look.”

“Okay, but don’t poke it, okay? It kinda hurts.”

Danny feigned horror. “It feels pain! Ladies and gentleman the terminator feels pain!”

Steve turned his head to the side and Danny let himself get temporarily distracted by the view before more closely inspecting the sutures in Steve’s left scalp.

“Hmmmm,” Danny mused, stroking an imaginary beard. “Well, they’re clean, which is better than I expected of an animal like you.” Steve theatrically mocked affront at that. “But the base of the wound is a little over-granulating.”

“What does that mean, Danno?” Steve asked, with a hint of worry brewing in his voice. 

“Oh, sorry, it means... like... you’re navy, right? Imagine your immune system is made up of SEALS or dolphins or whatever you call them...”

“SEALS, definitely SEALS.”

“Okay, not the point. Basically you’ve got too many troops working to heal the wound, and it gets all red and angry looking, and it can scar a little worse than normal. But otherwise it’s okay, Steve, just get them removed as soon as you can with your doctor...” Danny clocked Steve ducking his head in embarrassment. “...which if you don’t have, get a good friend with a steady hand or come to A&E on Sunday and I’ll do them for you. Okay?”

“Yes, Doctor,” Steve replied, his left arm snapping to attention at his temple in mock salute.

“Oi oi, what have we learned today about calling me that? Call me Danno.”

Steve smiled that award-winning smile again, and Danny’s insides were melting. 

Either that kebab yesterday was dodgy or I’m in serious trouble. 

“Thank you, Danno... So what’re you doing tomorrow?” Maybe it was the light, but Danny thought that he could see the tinge of a blush beginning to spread on Steve’s cheeks.

“Honestly? Regretting every single millilitre of alcohol I willingly consumed tonight.”

“Well, when you’re done feeling sorry for yourself, would you wanna maybe go surfing?” Steve asked, uncharacteristically shy. “But if you’re busy, it’s fine, that’s cool too.”

Danny almost said yes and then his brain kickstarted in third gear. “The ocean? With your scalp nicely cut open like it is? Have you ever heard of necrotising fasciitis, Steve?”

Steve, having never once heard of necrotising fasciitis, made a face. 

“Plus, I don’t surf.”

Steve’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head at that. “WHAT! Why not? Don’t or won’t? Why didn’t you tell me!”

“Well, I’m sorry Steven, out of all the things I told you when you were in a coma, I must’ve forgotten that one.”

Oh, hell. Fuck you, tequila, fuck you.

Steve’s brow furrowed. “What?”

No way out of this one. 

“Errr, I may have chatted to you sometimes when you were, you know, unconscious. My ma said to us when we were kids and our gramps was dying that he could still hear us ‘til the end, so we better say nice stuff. And I was having a shitty time and you were a willing ear so... yeah, sue me.”

Steve shrugged. “Okay.”

“What, you’re not gonna roast me for that one?”

“Hmmm, nah. Too easy, and also it’s hella cute, Danno.”

Now it was Danny’s turn to blush bright beetroot. 

“Well, if you wanna hang out tomorrow, I’m officially off duty too. And we can practise surfing on the sand to avoid getting hypnotising fishitis, if you want.”

Danny thought back to all his years of training, specifically about the rules of being friends with a patient and why it’s a terrible idea. But Steve was looking at him in the moonlight like all he wanted in the world was to stand on a surfboard with Danny. And it was the easiest thing in the world to give Steve a big drunk hug and say -

“Yeah, babe, I’d love to.”


	6. Butter Me Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s Pancake Tuesday and I’m just about to make pancakes with my friends. Steve and Danny have their first sort-of date. I hope you like it and it makes you laugh/squee. Lots of Irish love. All mistakes are mine alone.  
> *

Steve’s doorbell pealed out crisply once more on the quiet Sunday morning. Danny shifted his weight to-and-fro and stepped back an extra half-step off Steve’s porch. He took a sip of his cappuccino and sighed.

_Maybe he forgot._

Danny fidgeted with a loose piece of gravel and looked off into the sound of the waves.

_Maybe he didn’t really mean it._

And then he saw him. Running about the beach, doing burpees and press ups shirtless. Just watching Steve made Danny contemplate turning on his heel and go for a malasada. But yet... Danny found himself transfixed. There was something hypnotic in the way Steve flowed from one move to the next, sweat glistening on his che — Steve’s eyes met Danny’s and held his gaze for a moment, panting. Then he broke into a smile that melted away Danny’s insecurities like butter, and loped over.

“Aloha, Danno,” Steve panted.

“Aloha, Steven,” Danny replied stiffly. “So, uh, what’s all this with the army boot camp? I thought we were surfing on land today?”

“Oh that? I had to get my workout in before you came. I’m busy later so I wouldn’t have had time. And Danny it’s the Navy, okay?”

“Steve, you know, if you’re too busy, I can...”

“No!” Steve almost shouted. And then more gently, “I mean, no Danno, it’s good to see you, buddy.” And he opened his arms, exposing the quivering muscles and tanned skin on his bare chest.

“Wow, cowboy, you need a shower before you start wrestling me,” Danny told a very disappointed Steve.

“What, nothing, nothing? No hug?” Steve’s eyes glistened slightly in the dawn air.

Danny rolled his eyes, held up his hands in surrender and pointed Steve into his landing strip. A moment of anticipation, then all around was the smell of sea salt and sweat, a feeling of being completely surrounded and safe. Steve’s head dipped a little to meet Danny’s shoulder, which Danny found a little odd but kind of endearing. Danny clung on as long as was socially acceptable for a “buddy” and made himself let go.

Steve clapped Danny on his back and his hand slid down slightly to the small of Danny’s back, guiding him to Steve’s garden. Ignoring the waves of warmth crashing over his body at the intimate touch, Danny swatted the hand away. Steve just chuckled and led on, like the Neanderthal animal he was. Steve’s eyes caught the cups in Danny’s hands and flashed like a wolf seeing a wounded sheep.

“Oh great, you brought coffee! My machine’s just had a little, um, vacation of living, and I was feeling kind of bad... But this is perfect! I’ll be right back,” Steve chattered happily, heading for the house. Then he stopped, turned back to Danny, and said, “Or, you can come with and see the house? Only if you want, Danno.”

Danny shrugged and trudged after him in a vain attempt to appear casual at following Shirtless Steve into his home, his bedroom, his arms —

_Okay, reel it in, Danny, keep your head._

Steve gave Danny a full guided tour complete with audio guide and expert commentary. Danny happily tailed after Steve, who unfortunately grabbed a fresh T shirt with a NAVY print during the fascinating tour of the lesser spotted Steve’s bedroom. Danny just smiled, feeling more at home than he ever had in his entire life, in this relative stranger’s house.

“This is the spare room, which is a bit, well, spare. But it’d be warm enough if you ever needed to stay over, Danno,” Steve lectured.

Danny, thankfully behind Steve at this particular point of the tour, nearly sprayed coffee all over the walls.

“Uh, Steve, I don’t know if I’d feel that comfortable —“

“Danno, first rule of my house is that mi casa es su casa. I want you to feel at home here.”

_Wow, he’s a pretty sweet guy, actually._

“Umm, okay, thanks,” Danny mumbled and bumbled, embarrassed at the open display of affection. “Steve, you realise that for all you know I could be a world class cat burglar and you’ve just shown me your entire home and invited me to have a sleepover?”

Steve’s face turned very serious. “Well, are you?”

Danny laughed nervously. “No, Steven, I am not. But we don’t really know each other —”

“Well then, that’s all I need to know.” Steve replied, contentment growing in those eyes. He led Danny back down the stairs into the small kitchen. A single plate was on the table, with a block of yellow butter softening in the morning heat.

“Hey, Steve, I’m already sold on the house, it’s incredible, but please put that butter back in the fridge.”

Steve just smiled, a very different sort of smile, that someone else may have described as mischievous, and moved right into Danny’s personal space. Their skin was just inches apart and Danny could feel sparks leaping between their skin, like a thunderstorm waiting to crash.

“Danno, you might not like this next part.”

Danny, in a bit of a reverie, burbled something unintelligible. Steve popped the tops of the coffee cups off, turned away to the table for a second, then there was the unmistakeable plop of the greatest friendship test the world has ever known.

Danny looked down and say a golden blob of butter liquefying in his coffee. His Monsoon Malabar. His favourite coffee in the world.

_Monsoon Massacred._

“What the hell - is wrong with you?” Danny murmured.

Steve just laughed and gave both cups a stir.

“Go on, Danno, it’s good, I promise.”

“Good at what, giving me a heart attack?”

Steve rolled his eyes. “Maybe, but we’ll get you fit, Danny, I promise.”

Danny’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head. “Steve, for your information, I’m very happy with my body just the way it is.”

Liar liar muffin top on fire.

“Shit, Danno, I didn’t mean —“

“What am I? Some kind of fitness project to you? Is that why you wanted to teach me how to surf?” Danny found his voice rising.

“I’m sorry, Danny, I, you’re not —“

“Because you know what? Steve, for a second I thought you genuinely just wanted to be my friend.” Danny found his cheeks burning.

Steve laid a gentle hand on Danny’s arm. “Danny, I would never, ever treat you like, like some kind of project. You’re a person, an awesome one at that, and I just meant that... Danny, I love exercise. If we’re gonna be friends, it’s probably going to involve at least some running about. Maybe even some running after suspects. It’s kind of hard to predict.”

“Okay, I’m gonna move right on past that one. I’m sorry though, Steve, but butter in coffee is so not a thing.”

“Suit yourself, Danno. So... ready to get on a board?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say ready, but okay. Let’s get this over with. And only if we’re getting malasadas after.”

“It’s Pancake Tuesday, Danno. I was gonna make you some.”

Danny took a breath to overcome the cuteness of Steve McGarrett. “Well, knowing what little I do of you, you’ll probably put in whey protein powder thingy and make them gross. So we’d better have a backup. You _always_ gotta have backup.”

Steve thought of the thousands of times he’d done things without backup and chuckled. “Okay, Danno, sounds like a plan.”

“And I want the whole story, the whole McGarrett story. I feel like there’s a lot I don’t know, and honestly, that scares me. I want the whole thing, start to finish.”

A waterfall of emotions slashed across Steve’s face, pain and loss mixed with hope and love. Then it was gone, replaced by another smile.

“I’ll do my best, Danno. I’ll do my best.”


	7. Stand Up, Danny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The date continues... I had a lot of fun writing this! I've got some time off at the minute, so my imagination is free to run free! I hope you're enjoying the story as much as I am.

The sun teetered on the edge of the horizon as Danny sat silent with his feet buried in the sand. He tugged his blanket closer around his shoulders and tried to say something, anything, in response to what Steve McGarrett had just told him. Steve watched him impatiently, then broke the silence.

“It’s not as bad as –”

“Ah, bababup, ah,” Danny silenced him with a wave of his hands. He looked out onto the dazzling waves, breaking only a few metres from where he was sitting, and tried to make sense of the man sat restlessly beside him.

“So, let me get this straight,” Danny began. “You’re basically a Captain America SEAL who leads a team of ninjas, based in Hawaii, who works for the governor, but also breaks every rule in the book and bone in his body, to protect the people from international terrorists and radiation poisoning… Is that about right so far?”

Steve nudged a pile of sand, causing it to spill its powder into the wind.

“When you put it like that –”

“Ah, bababup, ah. Not finished. You’ve also been tortured on numerous occasions, most recently by a man who may have been your half-brother, who you then shot in the head…”

“He wasn’t really my half –”

“AH, BABABUP, AH, for your information, Steven, means wait your turn in Jersey-ese. This scary guy caused you trouble for many years because your mother, presumed dead, was actually alive and never told you any of this. So… you used your dad’s… magic toolbox?... to work out the puzzle?”

Steve stayed silent, looking at Danny with weary eyes.

“Well, Steve, true or not?”

“Am I allowed to talk now?” Steve asked, exasperated.

“Um, I asked you a question, so yeah?”

“True enough, then, Danno,” Steve admitted.

Danny exhaled, long and until his lungs were completely empty. Then he inhaled gently, pinching the bridge of his nose with eyes closed, and said,

“Well, you radioactive Neanderthal lunatic… Your life makes being a junior doctor look easy. Plus, it would’ve made some great TV.”

Steve had to laugh at that, releasing some of his nervous tension into the sunset.

“Yeah, Danno, I guess it would have. So, now that you’re all up to speed, do you wanna show me how you ride it in the water?”

Danny blushed and snapped his head round to meet Steve’s eyes.

“Try _what_ in the water?”

He rushed his thoughts away from their current avenue. Just in case Steve was a mind reader. Which, given what Danny had just learned, was a very real possibility.

“The surfboard, Danno. What did you think I meant?” Steve’s face was an abstract painting of confusion.

_Stop drooling over the straight boy, Williams._

“I – the – well, we’ve been over this, you’re not supposed to get your stitches wet,” Danny replied, clinging onto his dignity by its shreds.

_Good recovery. You doofus._

Steve held his hands up placidly.

“Hey, I never said I was going in the water, Danno. But you can, and I’ll watch from here.”

Danny’s face must have betrayed his fear.

“You’ll be great, Danno. You’ve got natural balance and the only way to learn is to get into the ocean and see what happens! And I’ll be here the whole time, so you don’t have to worry about a thing. I’ll coach you from the shore.”

_Okay he’s being sweet and yes, he complimented you but shut up stop it he’s not into you so stop giving these thoughts any more time._

Danny twisted his body away from Steve, suddenly feeling vulnerable. His mind transported him through time and space, back to nine-year-old Danny, standing in a choir hall. Christmas in Jersey. His family sat in the front row, watching him. The hall, warm and sticky with the heat of a hundred people. Feeling sick, tired, falling through the air and hitting the ground. Hearing laughter as he fell unconscious. The shame his Ma had felt… and his Pa… Hadn’t spoken to him for weeks afterwards. _Can’t you do anything right? You’re an embarrassment to the Williams'._

Danny tore himself away from the memories and the hurt they carried.

“No, Steve, I don’t want to,” he said to through gritted teeth, hiding his face. A warm hand touched his shoulder and breathed new life into his bones, pushing back Danny’s fear like a search light through shadow.

“Danno, I believe in you. Besides, it’s just you and me here, there’s no-one you could embarrass yourself in front of,” Steve coaxed, his eyes full of what might have been love, in another life.

“You – I could – look like a dick – in front of you,” Danny mumbled, hoping Steve wouldn’t hear.

“Me?” Steve replied, shocked. “Danny, you do realise that I’m a terrible surfer, right?”

“What? Super SEAL is bad at some form of physical exertion?”

“Yup, the worst you’ll ever meet. It’s kinda my Achilles heel, so don’t tell anybody and **especially** don’t tell Kono Kalakaua.”

“Who?”

“Oh, that’s right, you haven’t met her. I think you’ll like her, Danno. She’s one of my, what did you call them, ninjas. She’s a crack sniper and the best surfer I know.” Steve gave Danny a wry look. “And she’s not too bad looking, either.”

Danny’s defences went up automatically. After so many years, the pretending had become second nature.

“Oh, great,” Danny replied blandly. “Okay, fine, so I swim out on the board and turn around, then paddle with the wave and stand up when it starts to break… Right?”

“Yeah, Danno, you’ve got it. Now let’s see that theory put into practice.”

Danny sighed, cast his hands up in surrender.  
“Fine, but if you dare laugh, Steven, we’re through.”

Steve held his hands across his heart, mocking being stabbed right through it. Danny rolled his eyes and grabbed Steve’s blue board, heading for the water with fierce determination in his eyes.

*

Steve watched Danny go, a small sense of pride swelling in his heart. His eyes traced the outline of Danny, silhouetted a golden angel by the sunset, as he disappeared into the glittering blackness of the evening swell.

_He’s a keeper._

Steve let the dangerous thought come and sit for a moment in his head, then shook it away. He took a long drag on his beer and looked out to enjoy the view of Danny paddling towards the dying light.

_You can do it, Danno._

*

“ **Now, Danny, now! Stand up, _stand up!_ ” **Steve hollered from the gloomy beach, his eyes fixed on Danny like the proudest father in the world.

_Don’t make it weird, Danno, don’t make it weird._

On tired, shaking legs, Danny got to his knees. Then one leg. Then two. Then –

For the briefest moment, Danny felt the rush of the wind and the push of the water propelling him along, like a bird skimming across the water on invisible wings. He was speed and lightness and balanced on the jaws of the most powerful force in the world. And then Danny breathed, and it was over.

Danny shifted his weight forwards and the surfboard tipped into the inky blackness of the ocean, taking Danny with it. The cold water rushed up to meet him and –

*

Steve saw Danny hit the water and struggle to surface again. He gave it two seconds, in case Danny would be annoyed that he got his wound wet, then he started like a sprinter from the block. He threw his T shirt off like it was on fire and vaulted into the low waves, diving in head first once it was deep enough. With long, powerful strokes, he sped towards Danny through the white foam, fingers and eyes roving and reaching out for him. He swam straight into a flailing mass of limbs and got a wayward elbow to his face in reward. Shaking it off, Steve swam down, pushing Danny up from below to the surface. They broke to the surface in a gasp of air, Steve supporting Danny’s head above the water.

“Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t a strong swimmer?” Steve demanded the second

Danny’s mind cast a cautious look back at twelve-year-old Danny, being beaten up on the wet floor of a boy’s changing room in the local swimming pool. He watched his nose be broken against the ground, welts fall down his shivering back and his mouth open to cry for help that wasn’t coming, as if he was observing it happen to a different person.

“I – don’t wanna talk about it – I forgot,” Danny panted, spitting saltwater from his mouth, as he came back to the present.

“What, Danno, I bare my soul for you and you can’t even tell me that?” Steve wiped blood from a cut on his cheek.

“Let’s just get back to shore, it’s freezing in here. I told you I couldn’t do it,” Danny managed to say, hiding his face from Steve.

“What do you mean? Danny that was amazing! You stood up! I saw you! You did amazing!”

Danny gave Steve a cautious look, waiting for the punchline.

“R-really?”

“Yes, Danno! I’m so proud of you!” Steve replied. And, to Danny’s surprise, Steve grabbed Danny, wrapped his arms and legs around him, and gave him a huge hug. They both sunk instantly below the waves with the combined weight. When they resurfaced, they were both laughing like lunatics.

  
“Steve – you – you are absolutely insane. You need help. I will pay for it,” Danny sputtered, pretending to be annoyed, but secretly beaming with joy.

“C’mon, Danno, let’s get you back to shore,” Steve said, treading water and holding Danny’s arm. “I’m gonna help you in you the whole way, I promise, partner.”

“But – what about your - surfboard?” Danny replied.

Steve blushed, realising he’d forgotten all about the floating piece of wood that would easily suffice to get Danny back to shore.

“Yeah – yeah, that’s what I meant, Danno.” Steve twisted in the water, spied the blue board just out of reach. “It’s just over there, Danny. You reckon you can swim to reach it if I help you?”

“Y – yeah, I think so.”

“Then I’ll push you in on that, okay?”

“I bet we look so ridiculous, Steve.”

“I don’t care, Danno.”

_I care about you, though._

*

Fifty-one minutes later, they were sat huddled close on Steve’s lanai, watching the moonlight on the waves. Danny was wrapped up in at least five towels and feeling very content. The adrenaline had absolutely drained his body. Steve was supplying him with beer and pizza and had even picked the pineapple off for him. Sleep was closing in with soft arms.

_It’s time to go home._

Danny stood up, dislodging two towels from his legs. He may or may not have swayed ever so slightly.

“Well, Steven, this has been… An adventure. But it’s time to go home.”

“Danno, you’re not in a fit state to go home. You’ve had three beers and about half a litre of seawater.”

“Steve, I’ve got work tomorrow at 7am. I’d love to stay, but really, I gotta go sleep. I’ll book an Uber.” Danny started in towards the house to grab his clothes.

“Or –”

Danny turned around and looked at Steve sleepily, unsure if he’d actually spoken.

“Or – you could stay here, Danno. I’ve got a spare room, remember. Plus, it means somebody can keep an eye on you in case you feel sick during the night.”

“I’ve had three beers, Steven, and I’m not 16 years old,” Danny protested.  
“Yeah, Danno, but seawater is an emetic, it makes you vomit.” Steve’s wicked smile reappeared. “I would’ve thought they taught you that in med school though.”

Danny groaned, too weak to protest any further.

“Take me to bed, Steve.”

_What did you just say?_

“Right away, your Highness,” Steve replied formally, pushing Danny along with his hand in the small of Danny’s back.

_Oh, god, that feels good. Never stop doing that._

The next thing Danny knew, he was wrapped up safe and warm in a spare NAVY T shirt and drifting to sleep in a bed with a quilt that had the same clean, salty smell as Steve’s skin. His eyes finally closed as he mumbled goodnight to Steve, who switched out the light and closed the door, leaving it open halfway.

_Just in case._

Steve took a moment to watch Danny sleep in his bed, uncharacteristically peaceful. Steve smiled, his heart full of happiness as he walked down the hall towards the spare room.

_Love you, Danno._


	8. Clear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A proper detective / Doctor crossover for you to sink your teeth into. Enjoy! I’m having a back writing it! Best wishes from Ireland.

  
Danny smiled. He knew any minute one of the nurses was going to ask him if he was okay, because he never smiled on shift. They’d probably think he was drunk. And maybe he was a little.

Waking up this morning, he’d realised that Steve had given him his own bed and taken the spare room himself. He’d also found his work clothes folded over the back of a chair, next to a freshly brewed pot of coffee and a little note.

_Knock ‘em dead today, Dr Danno! I’m off for a run.  
~ Steve_

There was a little smudge and a scribble at the bottom of the note that Danny’s imagination thought might have been a love heart, but his rational brain told him sternly otherwise.

Danny’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it out of his pocket, hid it behind a patient’s notes and opened his messages.

_“Hey Danno I hope you’re day’s going ok. Steve”_

Danny blushed. Okay, he definitely was drunk because there was no way that Steve McGarrett had made him coffee, left him a note and now texted him at... 10:08. This was boyfriend behaviour. Danny was read8ng the whole situation wrong. But, for once in his life, Danny decided to just go with it. He fingers danced a rapid reply, his heart hammering in his chest.

_“Hey Steve I haven’t killed anyone yet so go me. Also thanks for coffee. Danno”_

Danny exhaled and realised he’d been holding his breath.

“Doctor Danny?” Sabi, Danny’s favourite nurse, called in her sweet accent from across the ward.

“Yes, Sister?” Danny said, using the formal address as a way of complimenting her in front of her colleagues and seniors. Sabi blushed, winking Danny her thanks, and cleared her throat.

“We’ve got a new patient on the ward and he’s causing a bit of trouble, Doctor...”

“Sabi? Remember, I’m Danny, not Doctor.”

“Yes, yep, sorry. Well, he’s being a bit... Oh, I don’t want to waste your time, Do— Danny.”

Danny crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Sabi, if you’re worried, I’m worried. What’s up?”

Sabi’s screwed up her face and sucked her teeth.

“The nurses can’t get any blood from him. He’s been very uncooperative... He’s actually here on a visit from Halawa. Even handcuffed, he managed to punch Elaine this morning when she was helping wash him.”

“Okay, Sabi, I see. Is Elaine alright?”

“Yeah, Danny, she’s went to A&E to get stitches.” Danny winced. “But, Danny, we still need the blood test to do a confusion screen and septic screen.”

Danny’s mind raced for a second then relaxed.

“Okay, Sabi, so we need... blood cultures, full blood count, urea and electrolytes, haematinics... Is that everything?”

Sabi gave Danny a beaming smile. “And CRP and ESR for myeloma, but otherwise yeah that’s it. Well done, Danny. I just wanted to let you know... All the nurses think you’re doing a great job.” And with that, Sabi sidled of to another patient, leaving Danny feel like he’d won the lottery.

_If the nurses like you, you’re golden._

That’s what he’d been told. Now, if only someone would tell that to his boss, his world would be complete.

Danny collected his phlebotomy kit from the ward stock room. A song was playing in his head, some boppy RnB tune that Grace had told him was cool at the minute.

“Can I hang with ya, I’m just tryna hang with ya, when I get low you turn me up, together we’re dangerous”

Danny knocked loudly on the patient’s door and let himself in.

“Good morning, Mr Palau. I’m Dr Williams, one of the doctors, but you can call me Danny.”

Mr Palau opened one eye furtively and made a futile attempt to spit in Danny’s general direction.

“...ck off...” The patient had one handcuff, linking his left hand to the bed frame. The metal jangled a little as he shivered despite the hot day outside.

“Mr Palau, can you hear me?” Danny stepped closer, lowering himself to his patient’s ear. “The nurses are a bit worried about you because you’re a bit more drowsy today. And your oxygen...” Danny took a quick look at the monitor. “... is normal, but I’m a little worried because of your COPD, your lung disease, that you might have an infection onboard. Do you think I could take a little blood sample from you this morning, sir?”

Mr Palau responded by opening both eyes and glaring at Danny with the hatred of a delirious patient. Now Danny started to worry. He’d been taught about delirium in med school, and he cast his mind back to those lectures now. Elderly patients with serious infections got delirium, an unpleasant altered state of consciousness and behaviour that could make them violent, or more sleepy. High mortality rate if untreated.

“Okay, Mr Palau, I’m here to help. You’re going to feel a nasty scratch in your arm. It might hurt a bit, but I’ve got to do the blood test to look for infection. Do you understand?”

Mr Palau gave Danny the finger. Danny smiled briefly, then settled back into his professionalism.

Best interests then.

Before Danny could even begin to contemplate how to approach his patient without getting knocked out, the cubicle door burst open. A young policewoman in all black moved as lithely as a panther through the swinging door, gun trained on Mr Palau’s head with a frightening ease.

“Mr Benjamin Palau, hands up! You have the right to remain silent, anything you say —”

“What the **hell** do you think you’re doing?” Danny’s voice cut through the officer’s spiel like an icicle through snow. “First of all, he can’t put his hands in the air, because he’s handcuffed to the bed. Second of all - who the **hell** do you think you are, barging in here like that, and why the **hell** are you here?”

_Yay, go Danny, that was very assertive and doctor-ish._

The officer flashed an intricate, golden badge in Danny’s direction.

“Officer Kono Kalakaua, Five-0 Task Force, under jurisdiction of the governor of Hawaii. I have full means to arrest this man on suspicion of involvement in several child abduction cases across the island. I advise you leave the room, Doctor,” Kono said, as she advanced on Mr Palau like a viper. “And lock it behind you.”

The blood drained from Danny’s cheeks.

“Buh - buh —”

_Cmon, Doctor Danno, do something!_

Danny cleared his throat and straightened his stethoscope around his neck.

“Officer Kalakaua, this is a hospital. Mr Palau is my patient. If you think for one second, one freaking second, that I’m going to leave a sick patient alone with a government... mercenary, then you’ve got another thing coming.”

Danny was blushing hard, but he held his ground. Officer Kalakaua glowered silently like a dragon. Danny imagined steam spouting from her nostrils.

_Make the safety of your patients your first priority._

Just when it seemed as if Danny and Kono would come to blows, a second visitor interrupted their conversation.

“Kono! Stand down.”

Kono lowered her weapon and nodded a hello to the intruder. Danny turned around, whirling into another tirade.

“And who the hell are yo —”

_Can eyes be handsome?_

Danny’s wide eyes of disbelief met dark pools of anger in Steve McGarrett’s eyes.

“This is Danny, he’s one of the doctors here.” Steve nodded a stiff greeting to Danny.

Kono shrugged. “So what, boss? We need information from the perp, this was the plan.”

“Excuse me,” Danny piped up. “Steve, you’re in on this? This is completely illegal!”

Steve grabbed Danny by the elbow and pulled him to one side, leaning in close.

“Danno, I know how this looks, but we’ve got a situation here. Five children, all younger than 10, have went missing. All our other leads have turned up dry. But this guy, Mr Palau? He’s a lifer for sex trafficking with a special interest in minors. Danny, he’s filth. Never done anything good for anybody in his life. We need this information or five little kids could die. How can I tell their parents that, Danny? This is just... applying pressure at the right points to get what we need to save lives.” Steve’s eyes pleaded with Danny.

_I hate you, I love you, I hate you._

“Steve, I hear you, but Mr Palau is my patient. First rule of being a doctor - you treat everybody. From state senators to child paedophiles. And you treat them the same. People who have nothing, people who have everything. You protect them. People who society wants to sweep under the carpet, forget about, throw down the darkest hole and lock the door. You keep them safe. It doesn’t matter what Mr Palau’s done in his past. If I let him die because of that, I’d be a terrible doctor. Right now, he’s sick and needs my help. He’s most likely got an infection that could kill him within a few hours. He’s so delirious that you could threaten to cut off his toes and he wouldn’t be able to string a sentence together to tell you anything. So - I’m asking you to back the hell off and take your ninja-assassin lapdog with you. Right now.”

Danny was right up in Steve’s face, unblinking and unafraid. He’d never been more angry or sure of anything in his whole life.

Steve sighed.

“How long do you need, Danno?” Steve acquiesced. Danny gave him a tight smile.

“I don’t know, Steve, we need to run tests and start antibiotics straightaway. It could be a day, but he could still die of sepsis even with maximum treatment. We have to try though, anything else would be gross medical negligence.”

Steve put his hands on his hips and furrowed his brow.

“Okay, Danno, okay. We’ll give you an hour. Then we’ll need to interrogate him. One hour, okay? We’ll wait outside.”

“You’re serious, boss?” Kono chipped in. “We’re just letting this haole tell us how to do our job?”

“Trust me, Kono,” Steve replied, rubbing his eyes tiredly. “This haole is a stubborn one.”

_What the hell is a haole?_

Steve and Kono made for the door. As it swung shut behind them, Mr Palau sat up in bed, making sustained eye contact with Danny for the first time.

“Thank you, Doctor,” he whispered in a quiet rasp. “You sure... you’re not a... a lawyer?”

Danny looked at the villain dying in the bed beside him and had to laugh.

“No, Mr Palau, I’m definitely not a lawyer. I’m interested in helping people. Now, hold still so I can shove these pointy needles into your arms.”

Mr Palau chuckled, then started coughing violently.

“I don’t... know anything... about those kids, Doctor.”

“Mr Palau, I’m not here to interrogate you, you don’t have to tell me —”

“But... I know someone who might...”

Danny glanced at the door. “Mr Palau, maybe I should get one of the detectives in to —”

“No!” Mr Palau shouted. “No. I’ve heard about this... these Five-0. What they’d do... to someone like me. But you... Doctor... they’ll listen to you...” Mr Palau hastily scribbled something on the book beside him in bed.

Danny inserted the cannula and was rewarded with a flash of blood. He filled the blood culture bottle first, inverting it several times to prevent the blood from clotting.

“Mr Palau, I appreciate that, but I’m not a cop. It’s my job to keep you alive, yeah?”

Benjamin Palau said nothing.

“Mr Palau?”

His monitors started alarming. Danny’s head snapped up to them and saw no pulse, plummeting oxygen saturation’s, unrecordable blood pressure. Danny felt for a carotid pulse, looked and listened and felt for breath sounds.

Nothing.

_Oh, shit._

Danny pressed the crash switch beside the bed and a piercing alarm wailed out in the silence. Danny lowered the bed, flattened the head, knelt on the side of the bed, and started chest compressions.

_My first arrest._

Danny’s mind raced. 30 compressions to 2 breaths, right? Sabi and her team of nurses burst into the room behind him, wheeling the crash trolley.

“What do you want us to do, Doctor Danny?”

“Sabi, can you put on the defibrillator pads for me and tell us you’re ready to analyse the rhythm? Amanda, are you trained in CPR? Then I’ll count you into chest compressions. Ready? 3, 2, 1 and swap.”

With free hands now, Danny started shaking. The adrenaline had hit. Sweat and blood pumping.

_He’s going to die._

“What airway adjunct would you like, Doctor?”

“Stevenson, grab me an orange i-Gel from the trolley. Yep, that one please. Lubricate it for me. Well done. Now grab the bag valve mask for me and set up high flow oxygen through it while I put the airway in.”

Danny held Mr Palau’s head still, tilting his neck back and opening his mouth.

“Inserting the airway now,” Danny croaked through dry lips.

_You’ve never done this before._

The airway slid down into Mr Palau’s throat, creating a definite path for oxygen to flow into his lungs.

“Well done, Doctor,” Stevenson said.

“Thanks, now can you prepare the IV adrenaline for me?”

Sabi popped up at Danny’s side. “He’s in ventricular fibrillation, Danny. It’s a shockable rhythm.”

_Good, that’s good, I think._

Danny was just attaching the oxygen to the airway when Steve appeared at his side.

“Danny, Danny, what happened? Are you alright?” Steve’s eyes scanned Danny for any injuries.

Aw, babe. No, I’m not freaking okay. I’m a junior doctor handling a cardiac arrest. This is the exact opposite of okay.

“I’m fine, Steve. Please stand back.”

“What did he say, Danny?” Steve pushed. “Did he say anything about the kids?”

“Steve this is hardly the — charging, everyone stand back please! - time to discuss this — shocking in 3, 2, 1 CLEAR —”

Mr Palau’s body jolted painfully into the air. Seconds later, Amanda continued chest compressions.

“Danny, this is important!” Steve pleaded.

Danny took a second to survey his team, working away to save Mr Palau. He saw Steve as time slowed, fear and concern in his eyes. He saw the book beside Mr Palau with a name scrawled hastily onto its front cover.

Danny lifted the book and tossed it to Steve.

“He didn’t know anything. He said this might help.”

Steve’s face lightened as he saw the name.

“Thank you, booboo, thank you,” Steve said, clapping Danny’s shoulder. Steve made for the door.

“Ready for the second shock, Doctor!” Sabi yelled from the head of the bed.

“Steve?” Danny called out.

“Yes, Danno?” Steve replied.

“It was really sweet of you to come see me in work, babe, but please **for the love of Hawaii** , get out of here before I zap you with 1500 volts.”

Steve ducked his head bashfully.

“I know, Danny, I’m so sorry. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

Danny smiled.

“And if you ever call me _**booboo**_ again, I will genuinely never speak to you again. Clear? 3, 2, 1 **CLEAR**!”

 

 


	9. Confirmation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter helped me work through one of my biggest fears of becoming a doctor - death and dying.  
> My philosophy revolves around life, so death terrifies me.  
> Being a doctor, I’ll see a lot of suffering and death, and I can only hope I can learn to deal with it in a positive way.  
> I’ve coped with a lot of my own suffering, which has shaped me as a person, how I act and maybe most importantly how I write.  
> I’ve learned one thing in my life - that writing and engaging with your feelings is the most healing and empowering action a person can take.  
> I’m blessed to have you read this story, and if I can urge you to do one thing, it is to WRITE. 
> 
> Set your soul free in words, and don’t forget to have some fun.
> 
> Yours, Matthew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the arrest. Sorry it’s short. I’m liking where this is going!

“Time of death... 11:19.”

Danny scrubbed a gloved hand across his face, wiping away stale sweat. He put his hands on his hips, looking with lost eyes at his team around him. Sabi went and opened the window. Danny gave her a curious glance.

“To let the spirit out. Don’t forget to close the eyes, Danny. You should be the one to do it.” Sabi packed up some of the rubbish from Mr Palau’s bed space and put it in the bin, then washed her hands.

“And Danny, bed 2.5 said they’ve been waiting all morning for their discharge paperwork, so if you could...” Sabi mimed a hurrying gesture. Then she was gone, floating out of the room, her fellow nurses following suit, leaving Danny completely alone.

Danny exhaled, puffing out his cheeks. He took off his gloves, moving closer to his patient. He felt as if there were stones weighing him to the floor. He put a gentle hand across Mr Palau’s... body’s eyes, using his fingertips to gently close them for the final time. Danny shivered. The skin was already cool to the touch after an hour since cardiac arrest.

“Rest in peace, Mr Palau,” Danny said to his patient. Then he pulled the white sheet over the body, called the porters to transport the body to the morgue and documented the death in the medical notes.

_Absent breath sounds, absent heart sounds, pupils fixed and dilated, no signs of life._

Somehow, Danny made it through his shift without having to excuse himself to the toilet to cry. He felt detached, a million miles away from earth. He watched the nurses carry on, only a slight trace of melancholy in the air, as they dealt with their patients and smiled the same smiles they had this morning. He had no idea how. Was there some strange trick that he’d missed on induction day? Danny felt 20 years older, drained of life himself by the resuscitation and its failure.

Leaving the hospital, Danny took an extra minute to change into his ordinary clothes. Converse on his feet, dark denim jeans and a big, baggy jumper with a spaceman embroidered onto the chest. He shook his head to try and ward away his macabre rumination and walked off into the summer evening, hugging himself despite the warmth.

A family walked past him, pushing what must’ve been their grandma in a wheelchair. The grandson was telling his grandma about his latest surf trick, while she adjusted her oxygen tubing around her nose. The parents were holding hands, smiling with pride and glowing with lone. In spite of himself, Danny found himself thinking of Rachel. How things had used to be, back when they’d been happy. Maybe Mr Palau had a family out there, somewhere. A daughter, maybe fighting in the Army. A son, maybe painting portraits for tourists in San Francisco.

_Light and dark, life and death, hand in hand._

Danny kept walking. Away from the happy family and the dead prisoner and the hospital. Seeking peace, he checked his phone for messages from Grace before switching it off. Instead, there was one from Steve.

_‘Hey Danno that was a great lead buddy, it helped us more than you’ll know today. Got the kids home safely. I owe you a beer. Steve x”_

Danny snorted in spite of his foul mood.

 _“You owe me more than a beer, you cheapskate,”_ Danny mused, switching his phone off.

_Wait... Was that a kiss?_

Danny started and stopped dead in his tracks. Danny immediately turned his phone back on. He missed the Messages icon several times with his shaking hands before he got it right. And there it was.

_“...Steve_ **_x_ ** _”_

That was the last straw. The only thing that could possibly overwhelm Danny in this moment was thinking about Steve kissing him. Excitement and fear fought for dominance in his broken heart.

_Surely it was an accident, autocorrect, something silly._

But love bloomed in his heart like a rose, starved for so long, reaching out its hopeful roots towards Steve.

This called for one thing and one thing alone.

_Alcohol. **STAT**. _


	10. Smooth Dog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which no one is smooth or a dog.

  
Steve tutted, tossing his phone across his desk. It skidded on its side and fell to the floor with an audible crack. The noise drew Chin and Kono’s attention, from where they were chatting happily by Five-0’s central desk. Chin raised an inquisitive eyebrow in Steve’s direction. In reply, Steve got up, walked across his office, put his hands on his hips.

“Easy, cuz,” Kono told Chin. “I got this one.” She strutted to McGarrett’s office, knocking gently on the glass. Steve beckoned her in, trying to settle his temper.

“Hey, bossman, what’s up?”

“Hey Kono. I’m good, sorry, I just... I’m good.”

Kono’s eyebrows leapt up in disbelief. “Okay, so if you’re good, why have you been pacing your room like a caged animal and throwing your toys around for the past hour...”

“ I haven’t been —”

“... and fifteen minutes.” Kono finished. “We’re all ready to go for a beer, but bruda, you haven’t been right all day. So - please, Steve - don’t tell me that you’re good. I know you better than that. You know me better than that. What’s wrong?”

Steve momentarily cursed Kono’s perceptiveness, then gave a silent prayer of thanks for his _Ohana_. Tamed, he shook his head and puffed out his cheeks.

“Well, Kono, it’s pretty silly, but it’s got under my skin.”

Kono held out her hands, in a lay it on me, bossman sort of gesture.

Steve cleared his throat. “I, uh, texted a buddy of mine earlier, and they, um, haven’t got back to me yet. And I’m worried that they’re angry at me.”

A wide grin spread across Kono’s face, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

“Smooth Dog, glad to see you’re back in the dating game! So... Who’s the lovely lady? Someone I should know?”

Steve grimaced, suddenly shy and awkward. He scuffed his shoes together, leaving mud on the carpet.

_I’ll clean that up later... Next week._

“Um, yeah, Kono,” Steve replied. Then, almost too quietly to hear, “You met him earlier today, actually...”

“The perp?” Kono joked without missing a beat. Steve was impressed that she hadn’t flinched at the mention of the word him.

“Haha, no Kono, not the perp...”

Kono’s sparkling eyes widened in excitement.

“The dishy _haole_ doctor? Oh, McGarrett, you _do_ have good taste!”

Steve blushed.

“Kono, he’s just my friend.”

“Mmmhmmm,” Kono replied blandly, unconvinced. “So when do we get to meet him properly? I feel like I owe him an apology for earlier. I think I came across a little...”

“Five-0?” Steve quipped, smiling for the first time in hours.

“Yeah, I guess you’ve been rubbing off on me, Steve,” Kono giggled. “ _Oh_! I know! Why don’t we invite him for drinks at Kamekona’s tonight? Meet the whole _Ohana_? I’m sure Kamekona will appreciate the extra business too.”

“That’d be great, Kono,” Steve started, feeling like he was fifteen and talking about his first girlfriend to his mom. “Only, he’s not answering his phone? Remember the conversation we just had, like two minutes ago?”

“Sorry, boss, I was just thinking about his cute little butt...” Kono put a spare pen in her teeth and gave it a playful chew. Steve shifted uncomfortably to his other foot.

_Okay no stop thinking about his butt right now stop it that’s inappropriate okay stopping in three two one stop._

“So what’re we gonna do then, bossman?”

“I have no idea.” Steve shrugged. “And what do you mean, what’s this with the whole we?”

“Woah, woah, cool it off big guy. I wasn’t thinking of making moves on your...” Kono twirled her fingers in the air. “Buddy. I just mean, Steve, I want to help, if I can.”

“We all do,” Chin added, stepping into Steve’s office. He clapped a supportive hand across Steve’s shoulder. “ _Ohana_ always, right Steve?”

“How much did you, um, hear of that conversation, Chin?” Steve asked, blushing even more fiercely of that was possible.

“Enough,” Chin replied with kind eyes. “Whatever’s going on, Steve, it’s clear that it’s upsetting you. And we do just wanna help.”

Steve puffed out his cheeks, shaking his head.

_This is **so** embarrassing._

“Okay, fine,” Steve grumped. “Any bright ideas then?”

“Ooh,” Kono coo’d. “You could bring him a _lei_? Chin, remember when uncle and auntie used to fight, uncle always brought her her favourite flowers in a _lei_ as a peace offering? What flowers does he like, Steve?”

“Umm,” Steve replied. Chin gave him a sideward glance.

“Or, you could just go to his house and talk to him?” Chin reasoned.

“Yeah, I like that, but... I don’t...”

“Know where he lives?” Kono finished. Steve glanced up from his shoes and nodded sullenly. “Oh, Smooth Dog,” Kono wailed. “You’ve let your standards go in your old age.”

Steve glared at her as she cackled. Even Chin’s grin got a little wider at that one.

“You’re enjoying this, yeah?”

“I’m sorry,” Kono replied, tears streaming down her face. “I never, ever imagined we’d been having a group counselling session about a crush with Commander McGarrett.”

“I do _**not**_ have a crush on him,” Steve stated emphatically, forcing the words out of his mouth.

_Yes you do. Oh gods above and below you do._

“Okay, okay, that’s not important, Steve,” Chin said, tying to create some peace and order. “You want to make things right between you two though... Right?”

Steve paced the room, then turned back to his two smiling colleagues and made a _Well DUH_ face at the pair of them.

“Well, if he’s not answering his phone right now, and there’s nothing else we can do right this second, maybe you should give him some space?”

“Yeah, maybe cuz is right on this one, bossman,” Kono agreed. “We’ve all had a long, stressful day. Let’s go debrief and unwind with our friends, yeah?”

“Okay, alright, maybe you’re both right.” Every muscle in Steve’s gut squeezed, telling him that they were wrong. “But I’m gonna send him one more text.”

“ _Ooh, ooh_ , can I help?” Kono pleaded. Chin took her gently by the arm and forced her to the door.

“Okay, you’re allowed one text, McGarrett, but later I’m on drunk text duty and I may have to confiscate your phone if you misbehave.” Chin gave Steve a stern look and manipulated a struggling Kono out of the office, leaving Steve alone to his thoughts.

“Tell him I say hi!” Kono yelped from the other side of the glass. Steve chuckled and picked his phone off the ground.

He sighed.

It took Steve a humiliating amount of time to compose his text, with many deletions and amendments along the way. He deliberated for ten minutes about how to sign off the text. Eventually he hit SEND with his eyes squeezed shut, praying he’d made the right call.

_“Hey Danno. I hope you’re okay. I don’t wanna bug you, but I’ve been worried about you all day. I hope your patient is alright. I was gonna invite you to meet my Ohana tonight, but I guess that can wait. Just let me know you’re okay. Danno I don’t think you’re as alone around here as you think. Steve xo”_

*

Steve tried his best to put Danny out of his mind as he drove to Kamekona’s to meet Chin, Kono, Grover and Adam. Through the evening, he chuckled through all of their jokes, staying quiet and keeping his mouth busy with garlic shrimp and beer. He caught Chin giving him a few worried looks, which Steve fended off with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

The sun dipped low over the horizon. Full of good food, mellow beer and surrounded by love, Steve found his thoughts drifting to Danny. He imagined him fitting in snugly in the small space in between Steve and Adam. Smiling and laughing and telling them funny stories about his patients. His leg pressed close against Steve’s, blonde hair mingling with Steve’s brown. Hand gestures. A million of them. Pulling Steve in for a goodbye hug. Snuggling in for a whispered goodnight next to his ear.

Steve’s reverie was broken suddenly by an all-too familiar voice booming into the evening.

_**“Whaddya means you don’t sell tequila?”** _

Steve whipped around to see a very dishevelled Dr Danny Williams arguing with Kamekona, who stood in his van with arms crossed, shaking his head in disapproval.

Oh, hell.

“What’s up, Steve?” Adam asked, following Steve’s gaze to where Danny swayed. “Do you know that guy?”

Before he could stop himself, the words were out, cutting clean like a katana through the conversation across the table.

“I think I _love_ that guy, Adam.”

Steve got up from the now-silent table and moved closer to Danny.

“Danny?” Steve called softly, approaching Danny in the way a zookeeper approaches a bear - slowly and carefully.

With the delayed reactions of a drunk, Danny turned and barely kept his balance. His face brightened immediately. Steve ignored the butterflies set free in his stomach by seeing Danny smile.

“ _ **Shteve**_!” Danny bellowed, reaching out his arms towards Steve. Steve took Danny in - his mussed hair, the beer stains on his T shirt, his one shoe - and made an educated guess that Danny was completely wasted.

“Hey, hey, Danno, what’s up, buddy?” Steve replied, catching Danny’s hands to keep him upright.

“Nuh-uh, don’t give me that _buddy_ stuff, Shteven. I told you —“ Danny hiccuped. “I ain’t talkin’ to you.” He folded his arms in front of him.

“You know this _haole_ , McGarrett?” Kamekona asked, deep furrows etched in his forehead.

“Yeah, yeah, he’s with me, this is Danno,” Steve replied.

_Drunk Danno, anyway._

“Danno, what do you say we go get you a coffee or some water?” Steve implored, coaxing Danny towards his truck. Danny melted into his arms, eyes fluttering closed. He made a hmmmmm noise deep in his chest. Then he opened his icy blue eyes and looked right into Steve’s, and he nodded fervently.

At least he’s a compliant drunk.

“Oh, hey, hey, it’s Panther lady!” Danny hollered as he caught sight of Kono, who roared with laughter in response.

“You need any help, Steve?” Adam asked, standing up from the table.

“No, don’t worry guys, I got this one,” Steve responded, grunting with the effort of manhandling his Danno. “Have a good night, guys, I think this one needs put to bed.”

On hearing that, Kono made a _squeeeee_ noise and nearly fainted with excitement. Steve replied by blushing, giving a quick wave, and buckling Danny’s flailing body into the passenger seat. Steve slid into the driver’s seat and started up the engine.

“Okay, Danno. Let’s get you home. Where do you live again?”

“771 Haole Heights,” Danny retorted, falling into a fit of giggles. “Jus kidding, jus kidding. Hoko - Hokoahiahi Street,” Danny mumbled, letting his head sink into his unbuttoned shirt. Steve caught a glimpse of Danny’s bare chest, its fur, and forced his gaze back onto the road.

_Time and place, Smooth Dog._

“Do you think - do you think they like me, Steve?” Danny babbled. Steve smiled.

“I think they’re gonna love you, Danno,” Steve replied, meaning every word. Danny hiccupped loudly.

“What about you?” Danny murmured, almost too quietly to hear. Steve’s mind raced at the sudden question and he debated whether or not to reply.

_Yes. Yes. You goof. Yes._

“Yeah, Danno... I... I love you.”

Steve kept his eyes glued to the road. He held his breath, waiting for Danny’s reply, until sparkling lights started to appear at the edge of his vision. He sucked in some courage and turned his head to confront Danny’s reply.

Danny snored softly in the seat beside him, fast asleep and dead to the world. Steve shook his head, a little relieved, a little disappointed.

“Roses, I like roses,” Danny burbled softly, speaking to someone in a dream.

“Okay, Danno, I’ll remember that,” Steve said in a soothing voice. “Now, get some sleep, babe. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Danno loves you, babe,” Danny replied, turning over in his inebriated slumber to face his window. Steve smiled again.

“I know, Danno. I know.”


	11. If you like it, then you shouldn’t put a label on it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after the night before.

Danny woke up feeling more refreshed than he had any right to, with a dry mouth and a pounding headache. His legs were cramping from sleeping curled into a foetal position and his heart was hammering in his chest. It was still dark outside; the only light in the room was coming from his digital alarm clock on his nightstand.

05:45

Danny rubbed the sleep from his eyes with his heels. He’d had a pretty restful sleep, all things considered. If he got up now, he’d have time for a quick shower, a mug of steaming coffee, a pint of iced water and four or five paracetamol. But only if he got up right this second.

 _Five more minutes_.

He snuggled back into his warm, cosy spot, sighing in drunken delight. His bed sighed back and snuggled closer behind him.

Danny’s bloodshot eyes snapped back open.

_Since when do beds sigh? Or snuggle for that matter? And, most importantly, since when is this apartment ever **cosy**?_

He rolled over haphazardly, dragging the duvet with him, and was met by the sight of Steven McGarrett fast asleep, stirring slightly before Danny’s eyes, wide with disbelief.

_You are drunk, you are high, you are both. You are very, very both._

“Mmmmmhhhnng,” Steve purred, stretching his arms wide above his head. “Don’t hog the duvet, Danno,” he groaned.

Long toes popped outside the bottom of the duvet, straightening and curling as Steve woke up, little by little. He turned on his side, making direct eye contact with one very perplexed Danny.

Danny stared. Steve blinked.

“Have I got something on my face?”

Danny shook his head.

“You gonna freak out?”

Danny nodded.

Steve sensed a meltdown and backed off, scooting over to give his friend some physical space.

“What the hell happened last night, Steven?”

“Danny, look, you were trashed last night. I found you picking a fight with one of my friends, scooped you up, took you back here, splashed some water on your face and put you to bed. That’s it.”

Danny wasn’t sure whether he felt more relieved... or disappointed.

“Okay... Next question. How did I get changed?”

“Ummm,” Steve replied, blushing. “You did that, Danno.”

“Steven - explain.”

“Well, when I got you in... you kind of... threw your clothes at me. It was actually a little bit frightening.”

Danny arched an eyebrow. He pushed himself up so that he sat against the headboard. Steve followed suit. Their shoulders brushed momentarily before Danny withdrew to his side. Steve did his very best to not let the hurt in his heart show.

“Okay... sorry about that. Tequila makes me...” Danny made a totally incomprehensible gesture with his hands. Steve snickered.

“Me too, babe. That’s why I stick to beer,” Steve replied, propping himself up on one elbow.

_Paint me like one of your French SEALs._

“So... how did I get into... are these army pyjamas?”

“Navy, Danny, I was in the Navy,” Steve admonished him, rolling his eyes. “And they’re not pyjamas - it’s loungewear. Besides, I wasn’t gonna let you sleep... naked.” He cleared his throat, avoiding Danny’s eye. “So I helped you into those. I always bring a spare.”

Of course you do.

Danny blushed fifty shades of purple and hid his head in his hands.

“Just one more question, before I go kill myself, with the kitchen knife, in the drawing room... Why on earth are we both in my bed?” Danny demanded.

Steve gulped.

“Danno, you... you asked me to,” Steve croaked. “You said, _babe, please don’t go_. So I didn’t. I stayed. I was gonna sleep on the floor, but you told me I was being silly and to help... keep you warm.”

Well, to be fair, he was just doing what he was told. And he did do a good job of it too.

The thought of Steve’s hands on his body, even just helping him into stupid loungewear, was almost too much for Danny to bear.

“I don’t suppose we got married, too?” Danny asked, half joking and half genuinely concerned. At the rate he was making moves, it wouldn’t have surprised him.

“Errr, not quite that far, Danno,” Steve replied, giving a short, nervous laugh. “Don’t you remember anything that happened last night?”

“Steven, is this the face of a man who knows what he said and did yesterday?” Danny inquired, pointing at his crazy hair and dark circles. Steve tried his best to find a flaw in what he saw. Instead, he saw his Danno.

His Danno who had forgotten all about what they’d told each other the night before. Their accidental declaration. For better or for worse, Steve wasn’t yet sure.

_Maybe... maybe it’s for the best._

“And with that,” Danny said, swinging himself out of bed with a grunt. “Dr Danno has got to get up now, or my boss might literally kill me.”

“Danny, I don’t know if that’s such a good idea. I think you still might be a little bit —”

Danny slipped on a pair of underwear and fell, almost braining himself on his bedside table.

“Drunk,” Steve finished. He swung himself out of bed, lumbering around to try and help Danny.

“Owwwwwwwwww,” Danny whined from underneath the bed. “Steve, if you staying over is going to become a regular thing, you have got to learn to put your dirty clothes in the basket.”

“I did, Danny, I swear I did.” Steve inspected the offending article. “Umm, I think these are yours, babe?”

Danny palmed his face in his hand, grunted, and held his hand out silently.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been so embarrassed in my life. Steven, I’m sorry. Can you please help me up?” Danny pleaded, pinging his boxers into the dirty laundry basket. Steve obliged, hoisting Danny up easily with one arm linked through his.

All of a sudden, they were standing right in front of one another. Danny shifted his feet. Steve studied the patches of mould in the corners of the ceiling.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“Now, Steven, just one more question. Last one ever, I promise.”

“What now, Danno?” Steve said, slightly exasperated with his interrogation.

“No, no - it’s a good one, you’re gonna enjoy this one. Why are you... not wearing any underwear?”

Steve looked down at his nakedness and shrugged.

“I’ve never worn underwear to bed. I can’t sleep unless I’m comfortable, Daniel.”

“Okay, fair enough. Mazel tov by the way. I was just asking,” Danny returned, avoiding direct eye contact with Steve’s glorious package. “I guess I shouldn’t have expected otherwise.”

“Apology accepted,” Steve replied, smiling broadly. “So. What now?”

“Well,” Danny stated. “First of all I need to... you need to put on some pants. While you do that for me, I gotta ring in sick and see if anyone can cover me, because as you know, my blood currently contains enough alcohol to be used as hand sanitiser.”

Steve nodded his agreement, pulling his legs into some of Danny’s sweatpants.

“Ooh, these are a bit —”

“What? Small? Do not go there with me this morning, Steven,” Danny admonished. “Please help yourself to my clothes, by the way, make yourself at home. Can I get you anything else?”

“I was going to say Danno-sized. And you told me to put some clothes on!” Steve retorted. Danny put his head in his hands again.

“Shhhh shhhhh. Please. I need some water, and by some I mean about two gallons of sweet, sweet H2O. Then I’m going to order a pizza with extra pepperoni, switch the Knicks game on in the background and try not to die as the drunk ends and the true hangover begins. Thoughts?”

Steve grinned maniacally.

“Or —”

“No, Steven, the aforementioned question was rhetorical. That means I wasn’t expecting —”

“Hear me out, Danny. We go out —”

“An answer. Steve, I don’t go anywhere when I’m hungover. Going is the opposite of staying. Out is the opposite of in. I’m staying in.”

“For a run,” Steve finished, preparing for the rant that would surely follow. Instead, Danny looked Steve up and down with wary eyes. It did nothing whatsoever to Danny’s insides to see Steve McGarrett with sleep tousled hair standing in Danny’s comfy clothes.

“Are you out of your _goddamn_ mind?”

“We used to do it all the time in the Navy. The fresh air does you good, makes you feel hungry; the exercise forces you to drink more fluids. You get back, shower, and fall asleep much faster because your body is exhausted.”

“What drug have you given me? I’m hallucinating all of this. You looking cute in my clothes is a figment of my overactive imagination. The delirium tremens is setting in.”

Steve grinned cockily. “So me staying over is a dream come true, Danno? That’s too sweet.”

Danny was tired of games. He was tired of teasing, second guessing and worrying. But mostly, he was still 93.8% drunk.

“Fine, Steve, we’ll go for a run. On one condition.”

“What?”

“That we can go back to bed straight after.”

“You mean —”

“No, Steven, I mean you and me in my bed with the Knicks on and a pizza sat cold on the doorstep because we slept through our alarms. Steve - I haven’t slept that well in years, and frankly, I want some more of that.”

Steve blushed. He hesitated, unsure of how to sail through this completely uncharted territory.

_What does this mean?_

But Danny was looking at him with sleepy eyes and all Steve wanted in the world was to be curled up under Danny’s duvet with their bodies touching and Danny snoring beside him.

“Okay. But loser has to buy pizza.”

“Okay, sounds fair,” Danny agreed. “Wait — you forgot your wallet, didn’t you, McGarrett?”

Steve gave his most innocent smile, winking at his Danno.

*

Danny and Steve collapsed in a heap on the bed, panting and dripping with sweat.

“Not too shabby... for a haole... Danno.”

“You... had... an... unfair... advan... tage... Steven.”

“Oh yeah?” Steve replied as he undid his laces. “What’s that again?”

“Super... SEAL,” Danny wheezed. His eyes were already closed. Steve knew for a fact that if he stayed lying down, he’d be asleep within a minute and a half.

“Danno, c’mon,” Steve said, prodding Danny with his foot. “Shower time, babe. Don’t make me drag you.”

“I’m a... big boy, Steve... I can look... after myself,” Danny returned. He stumbled, gasping for breath, over to his tiny bathroom. He shut the door carefully behind him before getting the shower running and undressing. He stepped into the cool water and shivered all over as the spray woke up every inch of his skin.

_What on earth was going on? Steve looks after him, sleeps over in his bed, is currently (hopefully still) wearing his goddamn clothes? Serious boyfriend vibes. But... they haven’t even..._

Danny shut off the water. He towelled off, wrapped it round his waist and stepped out of the bathroom. Steve was right in front of him, stretching his hamstrings. Shirtless.

“Shower’s free,” Danny squeaked. Steve momentarily cast what could be called an appreciative eye over Danny’s body.

“Thanks, Danno,” Steve replies, suddenly looking a bit sheepish. “Have you got a spare towel?”

The answer hits Danny like a bouquet of flowers to the face.

“Ummm, no. I mean, Grace, she normally leaves her little pink one here, but she’s at her mum’s this weekend so...”

“Ah.Your... daughter?” Steve pulled a face.

“Yeah. Are you having an aneurysm?”

“I didn’t know you had a daughter?”

“ **WHAT**?”

“No. You haven’t mentioned it,” Steve said, frowning.

“Well, that sounds either like our _brilliant_ author completely forgot about her existence until this second, or he’s a total _genius_ who was waiting to deploy her as a plot device at a later date.”

“What on earth are you talking about, Danno?”

“Oh, nothing, don’t worry about it. Well, yeah, I have a daughter, who lives as nearby as I can afford.”

Steve looked around Danny’s small, dingy apartment.

“Okay, so a doctor’s salary isn’t as glamorous as it looks on TV.”

“I think you’ve got termites.”

“Shut up. I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that.”

“And you and your wife —“

“ _Ex_ -wife.”

“Ah.”

“Yep. Ah, indeed.”

Steve nodded. Danny nodded back. They both felt the awkwardness growing, like an oak tree pushing up from beneath the floorboards.

“Steve, what the hell are we?” Danny blurted out.

“... human beings, I thought,” Steve replied. “But hey, you’re the doctor.”

“Steven, I’m being very serious right now. See this?” Danny pointed and twirled a finger. “This is Danno being very serious. And that is because we’re both half-naked in my horrible apartment on a Saturday morning with every intention of having a nap together in the next ten —“

“Five.”

“Five minutes. We hug, call each other babe, even _booboo_ once which we have mutually agreed was a mistake. Steve - what the hell are we? This isn’t what friends do.” Danny’s arms got tired from the amount of gesticulating he was doing. They flopped to his sides.

“Danny, I...” Steve began, scratching his stubbly chin. “I don’t know, this is new for me too and more than a little scary... But I kind of like it. Don’t you?” Steve was too close all of a sudden, his dark eyes inches from Danny’s.

“Y-yeah. I do.”

“Well then,” Steve said happily. “I’ll see you in five minutes.” He turned to head into the shower.

“Mr Palau passed away.”

Steve was back at Danny’s side in a second.

“I know it’s silly. But he was my first patient to... die. He wasn’t a particularly nice person. Okay, he was a massive asshole. But I still looked after him every day for a week. And everyone else is okay about it like it’s no big deal. But... it is a big deal, isn’t it? I feel like I let him down, could have done more. Somebody died.” Danny felt his bottom lip trembling.

“Oh, Danno. Come here, you.”

Danny let Steve pull him in close. His skin was damp and could have smelled better, but Danny couldn’t care less. He let himself be hugged and gently rocked by a Navy SEAL Commander and he hugged him back just as fiercely.

“I think it’s different for me, Danno,” Steve commented gently. “I actually think you’re pretty brave. I chase down suspects, sometimes they die, but I don’t spend any time with them, get to know them as people. They’re just chess pieces in an investigation. But it’s still shocking, seeing a dead person. I remember when I saw my first body...”

“I bet you dealt with it a lot better than I am, right now!” Danny scoffed.

“Well, you say that...” Steve said. “I may have... borrowed our entire squadron’s rations of rum and been found naked in a lifeboat.”

Danny’s eyes widened and creased in delight. “Now _there’s_ a story...” he chuckled.

“For another time,” Steve replied. “Right. I’m gonna shower and I’ll be right back. And given that we’ve got nowhere to go and you’re not safe to be let loose in public, I want to hear everything about you, Danny.”

Danny groaned. “Oh, **god**...”

“Ah, ah. It’s only fair. I told you my story. Now I wanna hear yours.”

Danny flopped onto the bed and hid his head under the duvet.

“I don’t _wanna_.”

“Well, you’re gonna,” Steve replied. “Keep my side of the bed warm, babe.”

 

 


	12. The things we do for love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve gets a closer look at Danny’s past... and so do we.

“Hey, Danno?” Steve called from the bathroom.

“Mmmph?” came from under the duvet.

“Have you still got that towel?”

Danny forced his eyes open and begrudgingly got back out of bed. He picked up the towel from his drying rack and felt his way over to the bathroom. He knocked and covered his eyes with his free hand, holding the towel out like a token of his favour. Steve flung the door open, covering himself with his T shirt, dripping water on the carpet as he snagged the towel from Danny’s hand. Steve looked at Danny hiding behind his hands and chuckled.

“What have I done now?” Danny asked, facing the opposite wall. “Why are you giggling, Steven?”

“Just you, Danny. You’re a perfect gentleman.”

Danny burped loudly, releasing toxic fumes of tequila and white wine.

“Just how my mama raised me, Steve,” Danny replied as he wiped his mouth and padded back to bed on weary legs.

“It’s very cute.” Steve closed the door to the bathroom and dropped his towel.

Both men blushed on opposite sides of the same wall.

_He thinks I’m cute?_

Steve scrubbed his skin dry with the damp towel as best he could and donned his... Danny’s sweatpants. He pulled his comfy T shirt over his head and tousled his wet hair into a semi-style.

_Here goes._

Steve stepped quietly into the dark bedroom, eyes adjusting slowly to the gloom. He could just make out the digital clock on the table.

7:32

The sunrise was sneaking in through the slats of the blinds on the window, the light playing with Danny’s hair, poking waywardly up from a corner of the duvet. Steve gulped.

“Hey, babe, can I —”

The duvet cover flipped open, revealing a sleepy Danny lying flat on his face. His body was pointing diagonally across the bed, leaving no room for a plus one. Steve struggled to hide his disappointment.

“Don’t give me that look. I’m keeping your side warm, Steven.”

Steve smiled in the darkness.

“Danno, how can you see what look I’m giving you if you’re on your front?”

“I don’t have to see your face any more. You’re in my head.”

_At least it’s not just me then._

“Thanks, Danny.”

Danny scooted and Steve slid and they both settled in, until they lay side-by-side. Their legs were almost touching and Danny felt that static again, a primal force urging his skin closer to Steve’s.

“You comfy, Danno?”

“Almost.”

Danny took a breath and shimmied his body an inch closer, so that their sides pressed together, McGarrett and Williams heat combined in a wonderful summer.

They both sighed their contentment aloud, breaking the tranquility of the world before it wakes up.

“Yeah, that’s better.”

“Hey, you’re wearing pants in bed! I’m impressed. This is progress, babe, I’m proud of you.”

“I... didn’t wanna make it weird and scare you off.”

“Steve?” Danny mumbled into his pillow.

“Yeah?”

“Don’t freak out, okay?” Danny said, freaking out himself. But something inside him told him it was okay, to go for it. Steve was wearing pants ( _for once_ ), so at least there’d be no... contact.

Danny flipped from his front onto his side so that he was facing Steve. Steve looked down and saw the smaller man burrowing his way towards Steve’s chest, and instinctively lifted his left arm up to accommodate his lodger. Danny latched gratefully into place and a surge of love flooded his body. He could feel Steve’s breath, could hear his heartbeat, and could smell his clean skin beneath the brushed cotton of his T shirt. Danny breathed it all in and nuzzled closer, willing it to never end.

“Danny?”

Danny let go immediately. “What? Too much?” He opened up a gap in between their bodies that was filled with cool air. In Danny’s mind, it felt like a large crevasse forming in a glacier, dark lines carving through crisp snow.

“This is _so_ lovely,” Steve declared. “Come back and don’t you move again.” He guided Danny gently back to the spot on his broad chest.

Steve listened to Danny’s breathing become slower, softer, more rhythmic. He was suddenly gripped by an overwhelming urge to do something absolutely crazy.

“Sleep well, Danno.”

And Steve licked his lips, craned his neck forward, and planted a gentle kiss on the side of Danny’s temple. He let himself linger there, cherishing the moment and stretching it out for as long as he could.

Danny shivered a little in his sleep and Steve broke the kiss off.

_Okay, that was mega weird. Get it together, McGarrett._

Steve’s arm was going numb under the weight of Danny’s head, but he didn’t care. He lay on his back with a small smile on his face as Danny breathed stale alcohol into his chest and sleepily draped a leg over Steve’s. With girlfriends, Steve had never gotten this close, had never wanted to be this close. He’d shied away from the intimacy. With Danny...

Everything was different. He felt love, all over his body, pouring into him like a wild river from where Danny touched him. He wanted to be close, entwine their bodies, show him through touch how much he cared for him, spell it out on his skin.

Steve succumbed to sleep, feeling happier than he could ever remember being in the longest time.

*  
Danny woke up with a crick in his neck. He took a moment to orientate himself, cracking an eye open to peer at the time.

10:07

“Good morning take two, Danno,” Steve hummed. “Did you sleep okay?”

Danny rolled his head back and forth, trying to stretch the tightness out of his neck, but refusing to give up his nook on Steve’s body.

“I had the weirdest dream. Why is my head wet? Have you been drooling on me?”

“Um,” Steve replied.

“Never mind, do not answer that. Oh my god, though. Are you hungry? I’m so damn hungry I could eat _you_.”

“Pizza’s on its way.”

Danny sat up bolt upright in bed and pulled a disbelieving face. “What wizardry is this?”

“The magic of modern day smartphones,” Steve replied, flashing his phone at Danny. “Swish and flick.”

“ _Ohmigod ohmigod ohmigod_.”

“Right?”

“Steven, I can see my pepperoni moving closer to me in real time. What a time to be alive!” Danny snuggled back into Steve’s side. “I think I’m in love with you a little bit.”

The words warmed Steve’s heart, for a brief second. 

“Um, Danny?”

“Yeah, babe?”

“I... did you say pepperoni?”

“Yes, booboo, the king of meats.”

“ _Booboo_? Okay, huh, well. That’s a pickle.”

“Ooh, no pickles, not with pepperoni. Yuck.”

Steve scratched his ear. “I thought you said _pineapple_...”

All traces of happiness were wiped from Danny’s face. To Steve’s surprise, Danny clambered on top of him, straddling his waist. He looked down on Steve with stern eyes. Steve tried very, very hard to not get... hard.

“ _Excuse me, Steven?_ Could you repeat that? I think I may have had a mini stroke.”

“Pineapple. Like... ham and pineapple?”

“The _devil fruit_.”

“Aww, c’mon, name a more dynamic duo?”

“Pepperoni and no pineapple,” Danny pouted. “Pepperoni reminds me of home.”

“See? This is good? I’m learning things about you.”

“What more do you want from me?” Danny said, his head in his hands.

“Danny?”

“What, Steven?”

Steve took Danny’s hands away from his face and held them against his, palm to palm. Then he did a halfway sit-up, his abs lifting him off the bed, closer to Danny. He brought them nose-to-nose, eye-to-eye. Steve licked his lips. Danny blinked, twice, his temper cooling off rapidly.

“You’re definitely awake this time?” Steve breathed huskily.

“Y-yes. I think so,” Danny stammered, dreaming where this could be going.

“Good. Because... I’m only kidding.”

“About what?”

“I got you pepperoni, too,” Steve confided.

Relief bloomed on Danny’s face and he pressed his hands to his heart. He sighed and smiled his brilliant smile at Steve.

“You goofball.”

“And Danno?”

“Yes, babe?”

“Stop me if I’ve got this wrong,” Steve said in a hushed voice.

Steve closed the final gap of air between them, pressing his lips softly to Danny’s. He felt Danny stiffen momentarily. Steve squeezed Danny’s hands softly, willing him to relax. He did. Danny’s lips parted slightly and Steve felt a mini earthquake in the room as their breath mingled together for the first time. They both trembled, holding on tightly to each other in the morning light.

It was Danny who pulled them apart. Steve’s abs gave out and he flopped flat again, praying his growing excitement would behave itself.

“Tequila breath.”

“Yup.”

“Sorry. You brushed, didn’t you?”

“Yup.”

“With my toothbrush?”

“Are you sure this is the right time to worry about my cooties, Daniel?”

Danny rolled his eyes at the love of his life.

“So,” Steve continued, patting the bed beside him. “Come lie down here before... just get down here.” Danny giggled, feeling drunk in the best way.

“Aye, aye, captain.”

“I’ve been thinking.”

“Clearly,” Danny rebuffed, flopping onto the bed beside Steve. He missed their body contact instantly and reached out under the covers for Steve’s left hand.

“Danny?”

“Yeah, babe?”

“That’s not my hand.”

Danny yelled and retracted his hand immediately, a blush colouring his cheeks.

“ _Sorry sorry sorry sorry so_ —“

“Really, Daniel, I’m quite insulted. I am not that kind of boy,” Steve joked, adjusting himself in his pants.

“I - I —“

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, Danno,” Steve soothed. He carefully picked up Danny’s hand in his and laced their fingers together.

“See? Good touch.”

“Haha, very funny.”

Steve smiled wolfishly. “So... how did a haole doctor from New Jersey wind up in Hawaii anyway?”

_And a cute one to boot._

“Yeesh, okay,” Danny replied. “It’s a little complicated and a long old story.”

Steve propped himself up on one elbow, eyes watching Danny carefully and listening intently.

“Well, uh, okay. When Rachel, my ex-wife, remember? When she got pregnant with Grace, I knew I had to get serious. Up until then, I was... doing odd jobs around Jersey, not making a lot of money...”

“What did you do?” Steve asked.

“Do you - are you sure you want to know? I’m only asking, because... I’ve never told anyone before and I don’t want you to... um. Think less of me.”

“Danny, honestly? I don’t think I could.”

“I used to sell drugs.”

“ _Oh_ ,” Steve gasked. He paused momentarily, gathering his thoughts. “Well... do you any more?”

“God, no. As soon as I knew I was gonna be a dad, I knew I didn’t want that for my kid. I’d lived through that, picked up my old man from the floor too many times. I guess you could say I saw the light.”

“From dealer to doctor... that’s quite the story. How did you...” Steve gesticulated a tornado.

“Turn it all around?” Danny lifted his hands in the air and clasped them together. “Well I did the _hokey cokey_... nah, it wasn’t easy. But I ditched my junkie friends, moved us to New Brunswick, bought myself some clean clothes, shaved my dreads... I basically designed Doctor Danno in my head.”

“Wait, wait,” Steve interrupted, gobsmacked. “You had _dreadlocks_?”

“Yes. And I never will again. And, before you ask, I’ve already burned or deleted all of the pictures, so don’t go there.”

“Awww. But why doctoring? Why not... investment banking?”

Danny chuckled, reflecting on the choice he made six long years ago.

“I’d spent my whole life doing stuff for me... I guess I really liked the idea of helping people. Plus, I thought I’d provide a unique perspective to contrast with all the stuffy, middle class men in white coats. I thought I could understand the people they couldn’t, because they hadn’t been there... maybe help some of them turn it around too.”

A silence descended upon the room as Danny took a break from talking. He couldn’t bear to look at Steve, worried for what he’d see in his eyes. Disgust. Rejection. Anger.

“Well... Danno... I’m glad you made that decision,” Steve said carefully, stroking circles on the back of Danny’s hand. Danny replied with a thin smile. “You know, I’ve got a friend who started out very similar to you. He used to run with some bad people, but now he’s legit, owns his own shrimp truck.”

“Ohhhh, that’s not the, um, big guy? In the T shirts, with the face? I think I bumped into him yesterday, right?”

Steve chuckled. “Yeah, Danno, I guess you could say that.”

“Steve... I’m sorry. I guess I’m not really what you expected. I’ll understand if you wanna leave.” Danny untangled his hand from Steve’s and looked down at his feet forlornly.

Steve shook his head. “We’ve all got a past, Danny. Yours is just a little more... colourful.”

“Yeah, you could say that... Rutgers, the medical school in Jersey, had this new programme specifically for graduates or mature students. I got a good reference from the one teacher at school who didn’t think I was a total waste of space, and kept myself out of trouble for six years. When Grace came along, things got pretty crazy. Between lectures, seminars, coursework, exams and more exams, I had to change diapers, make up bottles, play hide and seek and make time for Rachel.”

Steve shook his head. “That’s crazy, Danno.”

“I guess that’s why Rachel and this total asshat called Stan...” Danny trailed off, making the universal symbol for heterosexual intercourse.

“Yikes.”

“Yup. I found out on my graduation day. The day I thought our family would finally start heading somewhere good...”

Steve reached out and draped a comforting hand on Danny’s thigh.

“I’m sorry, Danno. I really am.”

“Then she told me she was moving to Hawaii... her and Gracie.” Danny sniffed. “Stan had the money I guess she needed, or wanted, for Gracie. I didn’t. In some ways, I completely understand. Why would you want your baby growing up in a town where everyone knows her daddy used to deal crack?”

“What she did wasn’t right, Danno.”

“Maybe. Doesn’t matter. All I knew was, if Grace wasn’t in Jersey with me, there was nothing to stay for... so I came too. Begged and pleaded to be moved to the Queen’s Medical Centre in Honolulu...” Danny snorted. “You know, I actually thought to myself, if the hospital is called Queen’s... how different can Hawaii be?”

Steve looked at Danny’s downcast face and wished hard that he hadn’t brought any of this up.

The doorbell rang, interrupting the awkward silence. Danny shook his head out of a little reverie and popped up out of bed to answer the door, leaving Steve some time to think.

_Well, **that** was very unexpected._

“Steve,” Danny whispered. He was standing by the door, holding it open slightly. “I know I’m a lot to deal with, I know I’ve done some pretty awful things in my life. I which I could change it, but I can’t... I’m used to... I mean, if you wanna go... I’ll be okay. There’s a reason why I’ve only got one towel and toothbrush in this apartment,” he joked, almost choking on the words.

“Danno, thank you for telling me,” Steve began, standing up and moving closer to him. “I think...”

The silence filled the whole room until Danny thought it would burst at the seams.

“ _I think you’re awesome_.”

Danny looked up in shock and dropped the pizza boxes.

“I really do. Everything you’ve done, changing your whole life, was all for your little girl. And everything you do now is for other people. That’s... babe, that’s incredible.”

Steve crossed the room in two strides and wrapped his arms around Danny, who and clung back on to his Steve. Hot tears of relief splashed down Steve’s back. 

“You okay, Danno?” Steve whispered into Danny’s ear.

“You really don’t care?”

“No. Danno, I used to do black ops for the government, assassinating targets without really knowing why, other than to protect ‘America’s Interests’. And now... I live to protect the people of Hawaii. It’s not about what you’ve done, it’s what you do now that counts.”

“Thank you, Steve, really.”

“Now, hurry up. The pizza’s getting cold.”

“Keep your devil fruit away from me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry if you hate it! I realise this chapter may not be to everyone’s liking, but this is what my brain came up with. Everyone has a past, sometimes things we’re not so proud of, things we’d rather forget. We heal and move past them, learn from our mistakes. They don’t matter nearly as much as what is in your heart today and what you can do right now if you wake up to how amazing you truly are. 
> 
> Sending love and hope.


	13. Let it Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A first date.

“Why are you wearing a tie?” Steve asked Danny, who was doing his best not to melt in the Honolulu afternoon. They were standing outside the Museum of Art, and even this close to the ocean breeze, the heat was stifling. Danny loosened his knot and prayed that their air conditioning was working.

“Am I seriously being grilled on my fashion by the King of Cargo Pants?” Danny retorted. Steve took a step backwards and pointed down at his favourite clothes.

“What do you mean? They’re comfy, practical, they wash well... what’s not to like?” Steve bristled, his face screwed up in confusion, hands on his hips defiantly. “King of Cargo Pants... I take that as a compliment.”

“Okay... well, that’s a can of worms to crack open another time.” Danny moved closer to Steve and took his hand tenderly. “For your information, my dear Steven, I’m wearing a tie because A) I never get to at work because of infection control and B) I think it’s nice to dress up for a date.”

Steve softened at Danny’s words and touch. He pouted and let himself be dragged towards the revolving doors of doom.

“Danny... I don’t wanna... it’s such a nice day. We could take a picnic up to Manoa, I could show you my favourite hike... please don’t make me go to a museum.” Steve stuck out his bottom lip and did his best not to cry as he was pulled closer to the doors.

“C’mon, babe, don’t be such a baby. You’ve been tortured in North Korea, how bad can a bit of contemporary art be?” Danny held in a chuckle as he felt Steve’s hand start trembling. Just outside the door, Steve stopped abruptly, planting his feet on the steaming tarmac. Danny’s arm jerked back, nearly dislocating it from his shoulder.

“ ** _Ow_** , Steve! You Neanderthal animal! What the hell?”

“Danno,” Steve said in a small voice. “What if... what if I don’t understand any of it and you think I’m dumb?” Danny felt his heart melt. He changed tactics, switching his hand to support Steve’s lower back. Not pushing, just resting there.

“Steven, I don’t care. But this is the first day we’ve had together in weeks and... I wanna learn something. Being stuck on the ward the whole time, I feel like I’m becoming a robot. I want something to move me, light a fire in me... and if you really hate it, I promise, we can go have a picnic.”

“You promise?” Steve said, taking up Danny’s hand shyly.

“You’ve got Danno’s one hundred per cent guarantee, babe. Now c’mon, I’ll hold your hand if you need me to, you big softy.”

Steve pouted again.

Only one thing for it.

Danny wrapped his full arm around Steve’s back, reeled him in and planted a brief, chaste kiss on Steve’s cheek.

“You can do it, Steve,” Danny encouraged. Steve took a few deep breaths and put his hand on the tepid metal of the door handle.

“For you, Danno.”

*

The two men stood shoulder to shoulder in front of the huge canvas. It was the only one in the whole wood-panelled room, and they weren’t alone in musing over it. A handful of locals and tourists alike were clustered, pressing forward as they took in its magnitude.

“Breath-taking, huh?” Danny whispered, bumping shoulders with Steve.

“Hmmm? Yes, yeah, I totally agree,” Steve replied, too loudly.

“ _Shhhhhh_ ,” said the museum worker, raising an eyebrow at Steve pointing to a sign that said ‘No Talking’. Steve waved an apology. He moved closer to Danny, taking comfort from their closeness.

“Why do we have to be quiet?” Steve whispered. “How am I supposed to tell you what I think if we can’t speak?”

“ _Shhhhhh_ ,” said a local woman and her husband in stereo. Steve blushed.

“Sorry, auntie,” he murmured, barely louder than a leaf falling.

“ _SHHHHHH_ ,” said the couple, the museum worker and a handful of tourists in a synchronised symphony.

Steve hid his head in Danny’s shoulder. “I’m gonna stay here, Danno. These people are scaring me.” Danny grinned and chuckled silently, his breath barely moving the stuffy air.

“I think it’s incredible. The artist managed to capture the magic of finding yourself in the noise of today’s busy world. It’s about getting back to basics and away from the trimmings of consumerism. It’s simple, sardonic, and it laughs back at you. It’s sheer genius.”

Steve waited for the museum patrons to hush Danny. He waited for ten whole seconds.

“Aw, c’mon, seriously? He can talk but I —“

“ _ **SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!**_ ”

“Danno, you realise that’s a blank canvas, right?” Steve demanded, losing his patience.

Danny turned to look at Steve. He took his hand, kissed it softly, and said,

“It’s like me, Steve.”

Steve started to say something snarky but stopped when he saw the look in Danny’s eyes. He saw an ocean of feeling, hope and light, dazzling Steve and jump-starting his heart. He saw endings and new beginnings, a whole life written in the colour of Danny’s iris. 

“Yeah, Danno. Like us.”

Steve’s phone buzzed to life in one of his pockets. A polyphonic ringtone of ‘Let it Go’ from Frozen blared into life, breaking the peace of the exhibit. Tuts and boos echoed out from the other punters.

“Sorry, sorry everyone!” Steve yelped. “Danny, can you... help me find this damn... phone?”

Danny silently died of laughter, bent double with tears streaming down his face, as Steve failed to work out which of his hundreds of pocket contained the source of the noise pollution. 

“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you and your boyfriend to leave...” said the curator, no trace of regret on her face.

“Sorry, ma’am,” Steve apologised, taking Danny by the hand. “Danno, I’m so sorry. I know how badly you wanted to see the exhibit... Are you crying?”

“Best... twenty dollars... I ever spent,” Danny wheezed through his fit as they were ushered out of the room to the crescendo of ‘Let it Go’.

“Chin,” Steve barked into his phone. “Please, please, **_PLEASE_** tell me we’ve got a case.” 


	14. A Romantic Detour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s not the destination, it’s the journey. Thanks for coming on it with me.

“Okay, I’ll see what I can do,” Steve announced to Chin down his phone, one hand assertively on his hip. He hung up, pocketed it and turned back to Danny with an apology on his lips. The blonde was only just coming round from his hysterics, wiping tears from his eyes and gasping.

“Danny, I’m sorry, but there’s been some trouble and the team need me to come in right away.”

“What kind of trouble?” Danny was instantly serious, his ears pricking up, Worried Danno face activated.

“Some hikers found a body in Kawainui Marsh this morning, preserved in a bog. It’s hard to tell how long it’s been there, but we think it might be related to one of our cases from a few years back.”

Danny shivered. “God, Steve, that sounds kinda dangerous. Can’t you just... ‘Let it Go’?” Danny sang in his best falsetto. He broke out in another winning smile and bent double with laughter.

“Shut up. For your information, Daniel, Frozen is a killer movie,” Steve said, defending his pride and movie taste. That only encouraged Danny to keep laughing. Steve rolled his eyes and sighed. “Look, why don’t you go get a coffee in Waikiki and I’ll come meet you in an hour or two?”

“What, and sit on the sidelines while you waltz into an active crime scene alone and without a gun? Are you insane? And don’t even get me started on coffee in hot weather.” Danny’s feet were planted like an oak and his hands were waving like branches. Steve knew there was no stopping him now. “I’m coming with you, partner.”

“Danny?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry about our date.” Steve scuffed his shoes and put an arm around Danny’s broad shoulders. The height difference made it easy and very... natural.

“Babe, the date is still currently active. This is just a little... detour. Right? Plus, I get to meet the Five-0 squad for the first time... sober, anyway.” Danny loosened his tie and undid his top two buttons. Steve caught a glimpse of delicious skin and golden hair. He licked his lips surreptitiously.

“Yeah,” Steve rumbled in his throat. “And about what the curator said...”

“What? The whole shhhhhhhh thing? I mean, honestly, Steven. What happened to stealth mode? Don’t they teach you that in the Army any more?”

_Let it go, let it go..._

“No... **Navy** damnit... when she called us boyfriends...” Steve struggled and failed to find the words. He pulled Danny to the side of the pavement and his eyes became dark and determined. He dropped to one knee and took Danny’s hand. He looked up at his Danny in the car park of the Honolulu Museum of Art and the words slipped out of his mouth.

“Danno... would you... be my boyfriend?” Steve asked, fighting hard against the creeping blush. Danny looked back and tried to keep his heart together while looking at the sweetest, sexiest man he had ever seen. It fell into a million pieces at seeing Steven J McGarrett down on one knee for him.

“Aww, babe... you’re too cute. But, we already are, you schmuck. Keep up,” Danny replied, trying to hide the tears of joy in his eyes. He pulled his boyfriend up into a dewy-eyed cuddle. They pushed their foreheads together, leaning in towards each other and looking deep into each other’s eyes. Steve chuckled his relief.

“Danny?”

“Yes, Steven?” Danny made a contented humming in his chest.

“Let me know if I get this right.” And with that, Steve used his weight to dip Danny back slightly, giving him better access. A tactical advantage. And he kissed him full on the mouth in the street, feeling more free and himself than he had his entire life. Steve’s tongue nudged Danny’s mouth open wide and put itself to work making Danny lose control of his body. Danny tasted incredible, hot and willing, and he kissed Steve back just as fiercely.

This drew more than a few ‘awws’ and one ‘get a room’ from passers by. Smiling like he’d won the lottery, Danny took Steve’s hand and tugged him towards his monstrosity of a truck, both of them looking a little dazed and a lot horny.

“Well,” Steve murmured.

“Yeah,” Danny hummed.

“That was —“

“Amazing.”

“I was going to say, a good start.” Steve winked, sliding into the truck beside Danny.

“Remind me why you need a car this size when we live on a tiny island?”

“It’s an off-roader, Daniel. It’s functional.”

“So... like cargo pants with wheels?” Danny quipped, without missing a beat.

Steve shook his head, smiling in spite of himself. He found Danny’s hand on the gear stick, waiting for him to link onto.

“Haha, very funny. So... is that why you didn’t say anything when the curator called us...” Steve asked shyly.

“Honestly, babe, I would have been happy for her to call us lesbians. She was a scary person.”

“Right?” the Navy Super SEAL badass replied.

“Now take me back to your swamp, you big ninja cookie.” Danny ruffled Steve’s hair playfully, a laugh playing in his eyes.

“ _Cookie_?” Steve gasked. “That’s a million times worse than —“

“Don’t say it!”

“ _Booboo_.”

“ ** _Ack_**!!!” Danny retched. “Cookie, on the other hand, it’s a term of endearment. It’s like you’re hard on the outside but gooey and soft in the middle.”

Steve looked down at his middle and pinched a few millimetres of skin.

“Do you think my tummy’s going soft?” Steve whispered, more than a hint of fear in his voice.

“I don’t think that’s physically possible, babe. I think I’ve seen you do crunches in your sleep,” Danny jested. Steve harrumphed and punched the car into first, tearing the car out of the bay in a screech of rubber.

“Steve...?” Danny said, blanching.

“Yes, Daniel?”

“Do you always drive like...?”

“Like what?” Steve pulled a face.

“Like you’re in an abusive relationship with the road.” Danny was looking a little more pale than usual.

“Buckle up, _cookie_ , it’s gonna be a bumpy ride.”


	15. Stay on your side of the swamp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plot moistens.

The big Ford plowed along the tiny, pot-holed road through the marsh. Danny yelped as they hit another bump and a Steve hid a smile. Badly.

“You did that on purpose!” Danny accused. “J’accuse!”

“Why would I do that on purpose, Danny? To hear you bitch more than you already have for the past... forty-one minutes?” Steve retorted. Danny glowered in silence. “Almost there, babe. I promise.” He patted his partner’s hand affectionately like they were an old married couple on a promenade.

Danny harrumphed and let his hand be gently caressed by Steve’s calloused hands. For a second, he imagined them as two detectives, driving into the crime scene as work partners, in tac vests and with guns in holsters next to twitching fingers. He smiled to himself and shook away the ridiculous notion.

“We live in one of the most beautiful places on the planet. And on our first date, you take me to a swamp. Steven J McGarrett, you have a lot of making up to do.”

Steve blushed and kept his eyes resolutely on the road, avoiding all thoughts of how to make this up to Danny.

“Okay, Danno... I will.” He bit his lip to steer his thoughts away from their sordid course. Then he spotted it - the all-too familiar yellow tape of an active crime scene. He pulled over sharply, winning him another “Eeeep” from Danny.

“God bless whoever you normally drive with,” Danny muttered humourlessly. Steve laughed from his belly at that one.

“Chin only drove with me once, he went out and bought his car that same day. Kono... I think she enjoyed it a little too much, if you know what I mean.”

“Blegh. No details of your past antics in this car please, Steven. Or at least please tell me you washed the interior afterwards,” Danny said, wiping his hands on his knees. “I’m hugging Grace later in these clothes, for God’s sake.”

“Wha - no, no, Danno. That’s not what I meant,” Steve stammered, mentally turning to mush in embarrassment. “I just mean that Kono’s...” His voice trailed off.

“A black panther ninja Amazonian princess. With a sniper.”

Steve smiled broadly. “Taught her everything she knows,” he surmised, unbuckling his seatbelt. “Let’s go, babe.” They jumped out of Steve’s hunk of metal and made their way over to the hive of activity.

“Yuck,” said Danny. He was trailing behind Steve by a few steps. “This is shit.”

“Well, why did you insist on coming then?” Steve demanded over his shoulder, losing his patience a little.

“No, I mean I — never mind,” Danny said, fervently wiping his now-soiled sneakers on some cleanish grass. “I’m right behind you, Rambo.”

Danny swatted at and swallowed some midges as Steve strode forward through the bog, waving a hello at Kono and Chin. Grover hovered in the back, chattering orders down the phone with a face like thunder.

“Afternoon, Steve,” Chin purred. “I presume that this is the infamous Dr Danny?” There was a playful light in his eyes which only Steve recognised. “Your reputation precedes you.”

“Hey, hi, call me Danny. I’m sober this time, I swear. Nice to finally meet you...” Danny proffered a hand for a formal handshake.

“Why are you wearing a tie?” Chin interrupted, arching an eyebrow. Danny’s hand instantly was in the air, swishing and swirling with his emotions.

“Jesus, is everyone on this island allergic to formal attire?” Danny retorted. Kono crept out of the shadows towards Danny and planted both her hands on his shoulders suddenly.

“Howzit?” She asked loudly in Danny’s ear, making him jump a foot in the air. “How’s the date going?”

Steve blazed beetroot and he was almost glad that Danny answered for him.

“I’m having a ball. I’m currently in a swamp with a corpse. I think he really likes me.” He leaned closer to Kono’s ear, whispering loud enough for them all to hear. “I think he thinks this is what romance looks like.”

“Danno, shut up. This is Chin Ho Kelly and Kono Kalakaua. That’s Lou Grover, the tall guy over there on the phone.” Steve pointed, bringing his face close enough to Danny’s that he could smell his aftershave. They both looked at each other, eyes the other’s lips. Breathed each other in briefly.

“Um, Steve? The body’s over here?” Chin interjected, clearing his throat and giving Steve a disapproving look.

“Okay, right, yes, okay,” Steve managed to say, tearing himself away from Danny’s face and leading their way over to the victim.

They clustered around a shallow grave, looking down on the cold body. Clouds drifted across the face of the sun, dimming the light and momentarily chilling the air. Danny shivered and took a tiny step closer to Steve.

“Twenty-something male vic, found this morning by a couple hiking through the marsh. Noelani is stuck in traffic, she’ll be here shortly. But that’s all we’ve got so far. No ID in the body, pockets empty,” Kono summarised briefly, tossing her fringe out of her eyes with flair.

“Danny?” Steve began.

Danny looked up from the body and found three curious pairs of eyes, looking intently at him.

“I don’t suppose you —“

“No.”

“You’ve done any —

“Nope.”

“Forensics. Damn,” Steve sighed. “Any ideas of the time of death? “

“Huh, give me a sec,” Danny replied. He stopped down closer to the poor soul lying on their back in the dirt, face mottled grey and twisted into an expression of horror. Danny gulped and tried to joke through his disgust. “I’m channeling my inner detective chakra.” Kono and Chin laughed. Steve, silently proud, shook his head.

“What do they actually teach you in med school these days?” Steve asked, feigning exasperation.

“I don’t know,” Danny admitted. “But usually it focuses on how to keep people alive, not divine the expiry date of human bodies.”

“Looks relatively recent to me, boss,” Kono chucked in. “Can’t have been more than twenty four hours.”

“And,” Chin added, using a stick to highlight a nasty gash on the side of his head. “I’m gonna go ahead and put my money on blunt force trauma to the head as the COD.”

“Blunt force trauma,” Danny echoed. “That’s what kills 99.3% of people in CSI, right? What does it actually mean though?”

“Danny, babe, shush or I just might show you,” Steve quipped. Kono and Chin exchanged a knowing look. Danny turned in Steve’s direction and noticed him a little way off, apparently scrutinising some dirt.

“Steve?” Danny called softly.

“...?” Steve stared the question silently back at Danny, taking an evidence bag and a small device from one of his many trusty pockets. He gingerly swabbed at a dark, wet smear on the side of a wind-blasted tree trunk.

“I take it all back.”

Steve’s forehead furrowed in confusion. He looked back at Danny and found him beaming in delight.

“Cargo pants have officially saved the day. You have my blessing to wear them.” Steve rolled his eyes so hard he felt a little dizzy.

“You need some new material, Danny.” He handed the swab to Kono. “Blood smear, could be the vic’s... or the perp’s. Kono, take that to CSU and get it processed ASAP so we can make some headway on this case. Chin, get HPD to form a perimeter from the road into the marsh as best they can. The killer could still be out there.” Steve’s eyes were dark and meant business, as he looked out authoritatively into the undergrowth. Danny adjusted himself in his pants, praying his growing excitement would go unnoticed.

_This is so not the time. Inappropriate. Very, very inappropriate._

“So, um,” Danny mumbled, hooking onto Steve’s waist. “You really call the shots around here, Steve. I have to say that... It’s... kinda hot.”

Steve gave Danny a bashful smile and ducked his head. Danny counted it as a personal win that he’d caused that beautiful expression.

“So, Sailor, what’re we gonna do? There’s a great place that does iced coffee back in — what are you doing?” Danny asked. Steve had taken out a compass and was plotting a route through the thicket. This did not bode well for iced coffee.”I love the whole Rambo attitude, babe, but my iPhone’s got Google Maps, so...”

“There’s a river,” Steve replied, lost in a woodland ranger type rant. “Just up ahead. If the killer is still around...”

“What?”

“They’ll be trapped in this kind of oval of marshland —“

“No.”

“And we can —“

“Nooooooope.”

“Danny —“

“Steve —“

Steve pulled up his T shirt and grabbed a gun from a holster along his upper thigh. Danny saw a flash of tanned skin, Calvin Klein briefs and his imagination did the rest.

“You’re safe with me, booboo.”

“You’re having fun, aren’t you?” Danny acaused. “And what the hell! Have you had that gun this entire time?” Steve gave Danny a look that told him everything he needed to know.

“How did you get it into the museum — you know what, don’t even answer that, I don’t think I want to know.” Danny waved his hands in the air wildly, dispelling all sorts of thoughts.

“You really don’t.” Steve’s dark eyes had a mischievous glint.

“You could have shot me when we hugged!” Danny shouted.

“Danno,” Steve said softly, leading him by the hand into the misty marsh. “The safety was on. The whole time... At least, I think it was...” Steve quickly checked.

“I hate you.”

“No, you don’t. You love me.” The words were out in the air before Steve could stop himself.

They both paused for an extra breath at that, letting the words hang in the air for a blissful moment longer. Danny broke the silence first.

“Fine,” he stated simply. They started to forge a path through the thorny thickets and muddy puddles. “But just so it’s on the record, this is pretty much a horror movie. And they always kill off the loveable comic relief first.” Danny sniffed and grabbed Steve’s hand, pretending to huff.

“Oh, so in that case, you’ll be absolutely fine, Danno.”

“Shut up. I’m gonna need a bath after this, too.”

“You’re telling me,” Steve quipped, nodding at Danny’s trainers. “When did you stand in dog shit?”

“Steven.”

“Daniel.”

“This is a wall of silence,” Danny said, waving his free hand like an international border between them. “Stay on your side of the swamp.”

“Yes, honey.”


	16. Muck Schmuck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which one is covered in muck and the other is a schmuck.

 

Steve sneezed and Danny jumped. 

“ _Jesus Christ, Steven! Can you not?_ ” Danny whispered.

“ _Why are we whispering?_ ” Steve whispered back. 

“ _Because_ ,” Danny pouted. “ _This place is hella creepy and I don’t want to draw attention to myself_.” Danny was taking two cautious steps to match every one of Steve’s confident strides across the marsh. 

“Then why are you wearing a tie?” Steve retorted, biting his finger to stifle a laugh. Danny searched for a reply until his face went from red to blue... then he let out a long sigh and took off his tie. He threw it into the undergrowth, never to be seen again.  

“Happy?” Danny asked, loosening his collar to let some fresh air soothe his skin, damp with sweat. 

“What, like, in general?” Steve replied. “Yeah. Apart from the littering offence you just committed, I’m a very happy guy.” 

“You are a very suicidal guy. There is a difference.”

“ _Shhh. Hear that?_ ” Steve leaned closer to Danny, his face drawn and serious.

“ _What? What? What do you hear?_ ” Danny demanded in a terrified voice. 

“I think... that’s the sound... of a Jersey doctor figuratively shitting himself,” Steve jested, bumping shoulders with the aforementioned Jersey doctor. Danny huffed, pushing past Steve a little harshly, determined to prove a point. 

“You don’t know scared until you’ve got three patients on a ward with a MEWS score of 10 on three separate wards and no senior cover, my friend,” Danny tutted, trying his best to appear casual as he led their way through the gloom.

Steve chuckled and followed Danny, content to discuss something other than their current situation.

“I bet, babe.”

*

They hiked on and came to the river exactly twenty-three minutes later, precisely two minutes before Danny would have asked to stop for a break. He secretly smiled at not letting himself down physically in front of his Navy SEAL. Not that he was competitive. No. That was Steve. 

“Well.” Danny waved his arms expansively. “We did it, Robinson Crusoe. We found the river.” He gestured at its muddy banks, its inky brown water. “And I’ll admit, she’s a beauty. Really, as first dates go, this is up there with Cindy Crawford throwing up on my popcorn in the cinema when I was twelve. But, as I’m sure you know, we haven’t found anything more suspicious than a few pigeons having what looked like non-consensual sex in a tree. No suspect.”

Danny clapped a hand on Steve’s shoulder and leaned his head into the crook of his neck. “Iced coffee and a shower. Now. Please? Preferably not both at the same time, but I don’t mind what order. You pick, babe.”

Steve got distracted from his survey of the landscape for one moment while he smelled Danny’s shampoo. Two moments, tops. Vanilla and lavender. The balm of sleepless nights in a climate that he’d yet to acclimatise to. 

That’s why when the murderer stepped on a twig as he crept up on them, it took Steve two seconds to respond instead of one. He whirled, bringing Danny with him in a sort of affectionate headlock, which actually summed up their relationship well, he briefly mused. With one hand on Danny and one hand on his gun, he trained it expertly on their unexpected guest’s head. This granted him the half a second he needed to analyse his opponent from head-to-toe. 

A tall, heavyset man, in his mid-thirties, moustache. Sweating. Navy T shirt and... cargo pants. _Damnit_. A murderer with style. Brandishing a Glock 9 and aiming it straight at Danny. Whom Steve realised was in harm’s way because of their hug. _Quadruple damnit_. 

“Drop your fucking gun or I’ll blow his head off!” our stylish perp boomed, face red with fury and physical exertion. The words hit Steve like a physical bullet. He couldn’t move Danny without risking the man shooting one or both of them. 

“Okay, okay,” Steve replied, his voice soft. “You’re the boss.”

“Damn fucking right!” The guy yelled. Clearly he had a very limited vocabulary, most of it profane. “Who the fuck are you?”

_Called it._

“Hey, buddy, relax. We’re just two hikers out for a walk who haven’t seen anything,” Steve replied in a voice like warm honey. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest put all of his effort into keeping his voice level. “And we don’t have to see anything either. Let us just be on our way and you can –”

“Fuck you!” yelled the human thesaurus. “Wait… you! I know your face!” He pointed one trembling finger at Steve over the top of his gun.

A cold, black pit opened up in Steve’s heart and threatened to swallow him up entirely.

“He’s got a pretty memorable face,” Danny chipped in, rather unhelpfully.

“You’re with Five-0, aren’t you?” the guy threatened, sneering at Steve. “And who’s this, your little girlfriend? Wouldn’t have pegged you for a queer… _McGarrett_.” He spat the name like acid.

Steve felt Danny stiffen in his arms and go to lunge towards their provocateur. Before he could, Steve tightened his grip around Danny’s neck and whispered, “ _No”_. Danny nodded, gritting his teeth like he could grind the man to dust.

“And who,” Danny defended. “Might you be? Since you seem so well acquainted with my _boyfriend_ , it’s only fair that you tell us who you are.” The sweating man took a few careful steps closer and hacked a wad of spit at Danny’s feet.

“Shut it, blondie. I don’t have to tell you anything. Besides, what good is it gonna do a dead man?” He gave a dreadful smile, the kind a fox might give some hens as it slips inside their coop. Steve saw the smile, the deadly confidence behind it, and made his mind up instantly. He relaxed, drew a shallow breath and threw Danny to the right as the bullet rang out. Several birds flew off a nearby tree like shadows fleeing from a spotlight. There was a soft _whumpf_ as Danny presumably hit the dirt, then a much louder _WHUMPF_ as Steve tackled the perp and knocked him out cold with the heel of his hand. He crumpled uselessly to the ground, without even the time to utter another “ _Fuck_ ”.

It took less than two seconds. Maybe a new record for him. Probably because Danny had –

_Danny._

Steve scrambled over the muddy ground to Danny, where he lay still on the cold ground. The birds shrieked out in the dim light as Steve called Danny’s name, pressed hard on the leaking wound on Danny’s stomach, and checked for a pulse. Dark red blood trickled through his fingers, warm and horrifyingly Danny’s. Steve cursed loud, roaring atrocities at the unconscious victim with a more colourful lexis than he’d probably ever know. Steve was searching for his satellite phone with his free hand and cupping Danny’s cheek when he heard the best thing he’d ever heard.

“ _Steve_ ,” Danny wheezed.

Hot tears fell down Steve’s face as he looked with relief at Danny’s eyes, screwed half-shut in pain but more importantly half-open with life.

“ _Babe_.” Steve replied. Nothing else needed to be said. Seconds passed in the blissful silence.

“Did you get him?” Danny managed to cough, his face twisting in agony.

“Yeah, Danno. Stay with me, okay? I’m gonna call for back-up,” Steve replied.

“You gonna apologise?”

“What for?” Steve asked, instantly feeling like he’d made a huge mistake.

“For getting me shot, you colossal ass,” Danny retorted. “You get somebody shot, you apologise. Did you even go to orientation?”

Steve dropped his phone in a puddle as he wrestled Danny into a tight hug. He pressed their bodies close together and his face creased as he laughed in relief into Danny’s golden hair on his very alive head.

“Um, Steve?”

Steve sighed. The beautiful moment was over.

“Yep?”

“Kind of… exsanguinating here.”

“Oh.”

“You gonna… call an ambulance? Or shall I go ahead and start a funeral pyre?”

“Yep. Five more seconds. Swear to God.”

“Cookie…”

“Booboo…”

“Call the ambulance, you gigantic, ginormous, gargantuan schmuck.”


	17. That's my boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe it's been two months since I started writing this! 
> 
> I've just got the results of my exams and... I passed! I'm going to be a doctor! Maybe not Dr Danno, but a doctor nevertheless!
> 
> Anyway - this is set just after Danny is shot and just before he gets to hospital. Consider it... my take on a cargument. A argumalance. Ambuargument. Someone help
> 
> As we draw to a close in the penultimate chapter, thank you for all your support. You've been amazing.

Danny had been putting up a front.

He realised he had been for a long time. At school, about his friends, his bullies. At home, about his father, his beatings. Even with Grace, whom he never wanted to keep anything from... the drugs.

Maybe it was the blood loss, maybe it was Steve wearing him down, but Danny couldn’t hold it up any longer. His facade fell halfway through the ambulance ride to the hospital, where somewhat ironically Danny was due to start work in a few hours.

Steve noticed a few minutes later, when Danny stopped replying to his jabs and jibes. He realised that although their perp was cuffed and being carted off in an HPD blue-lighter, the danger hadn’t yet passed. Because Danny, his beautiful Danny, was quiet. He was _thinking_.

Steve gave him exactly five minutes, timed on his watch, watching the paramedic apply pressure onto the gunshot wound in Danny’s abdomen. Then the silence became all-too oppressive and Steve thought his heart might burst from waiting.

“Hey, Danno,” Steve murmured, soft enough so the paramedic wouldn’t hear. “You okay?”

Danny opened his eyes, sighed and turned away from Steve, who tried very hard not to show how much that hurt.

“What, babe? What’s wrong?” Steve’s hands fidgeted, wanting to reach out and touch Danny, rub his shoulder, anything, anything to make his Danny come back to him. “I said I was sorry...”

“It’s not that.” Danny may as well have been a gargoyle, Steve thought. All of his usual heat and life was gone, replaced by cold stone.

“Okay.” A long, tense pause. “Then what’s on your mind?”

 

_I love you but…_

 

“Is this...” Danny waggled a finger between them. “Good idea?”

The ambulance went over a bump and a Steve felt his stomach do a somersault.

“What do you mean?” Steve asked, fighting back the urge to vomit.

 

_No no no..._

 

“Me and you. You and I. Us.” Danny sighed and pinched his nose. He really, really didn’t want to do this.

 

_But maybe now is better than later._

 

“Um, do you want me to give you two some privacy, Commander?” the friendly paramedic asked, breaking them both out of their deadlock.

“Yes... yes please,” Steve replied, struggling to keep his voice even.

“Okay, but keep pressure applied right there, and if his BP goes any lower...” The paramedic trailed off forebodingly. Steve nodded his understanding. Danny kept his eyes resolutely on the roof and continued.

“Look. Steve, you’re a Super SEAL who gets shot at on a daily basis. I work in a hospital where we value life, and you’re known as something of a legend for the number of attendances.”

“Danno, I’m fine,” Steve lied.

“This time, yeah. But when I met you, six months ago, you were clinging to life. And when you finally came around, you just walked out of there like it was another day at the office. Steve, you put yourself in harm’s way every day for other people.”

“Danno,” Steve said quietly. “That’s my job, keeping people safe.”

“And I want to keep you safe!” The words burst from Danny’s mouth like an angry river. They swept away whatever Steve was going to say next in an icy torrent.

“Every shift, Steven, every damn time I walk into the hospital, every patient I see in their bed - I see you, shot or poisoned or... worse. I can’t get it out of my head.”

“Why didn’t you say something?” Steve asked, barely louder than a whisper. He swayed on his feet as the ambulance took a corner too sharply.

“What am I going to say to you? That I want you to wear Kevlar in the shower? That I don’t want you to have to bring a gun to see some contemporary art?” Danny ranted. “I can’t always be there when someone bashes your head in or sprays some Sarin in your general direction.”

“Danno, Danno, Danno...” Steve murmured like a mantra to keep him safe.

“I don’t think I can do this, Steve. You already mean way, way, way too much to me.” Danny tried his best to hide his face and let the tears fall in secret. Like diamonds from their cobalt source.

 

_I wish the world could go away and you and me could just be._

 

They sat in silence for the longest time, connected only by Steve’s rough hands pressing over the hole in Danny’s stomach. Both men avoiding eye contact as Danny’s blood congealed on Steve’s skin.

“Danny… I don’t know what to say…”

“It’s okay, babe. It’s my fault. I never should have got involved with you.”

“Never, _ever_ say that,” Steve stated with vigour. “Danny, knowing you has been a blessing. You’ve given me so much more than I ever dreamed I could have. And I don’t want to lose that now.”

 

_Or ever._

 

“I’m sorry, babe. I just don’t see how it can ever work.” Danny held his hands up in surrender. Steve saw Danny’s point. He really did. They were so different. Their lives were worlds apart. If their positions were reversed, he would have been absolutely terrified for Danny’s safety. He wondered how Noelani did it with her boyfr –

“Come to Five-0,” Steve blurted, surprising them both. Danny’s face screwed up in confusion.

“I’m sorry, I must be hallucinating – you want to go to the office _now_? Jesus, you really are married to the job.” A little bit of what made Danny so special was coming back, like a turtle slowly emerging from its shell. “I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it, but I’m currently bleeding out and in need of emergency surgery.”

 

_There’s my boy._

 

“No, Danny, I mean – to work. Noelani could always use some help.”

Danny laughed harshly. “Sorry, babe. I went into medicine to help people, not identify bodies. It’s a kind offer, but no, no thank you. I couldn’t be around bodies all day. To be honest with you? They kind of freak me out.”

 

_Shit. Shit rolled in shit in a bun made of shit._

 

Steve’s mind raced through a dozen other alternatives. The world jolted suddenly to the right and Steve bumped his head hard on the door of the ambulance. And - he came up with one fantastic, potentially workable solution.

“See? You can’t even escort someone to the hospital without getting a head injury,” Danny complained.   
“Danno? Look at me, babe. I’ve got an idea that I think you’ll like.”

 

_Can eyes be handsome? These eyes are._

 

“Have you got a surgical laparotomy kit in your pants? Because if you do, you definitely should have mentioned that earlier,” Danny jested.

“Come and be our EMT,” Steve stated, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Danny laughed again, then stopped, a curious mix of emotions splashed across his face.

“Listen, babe, I really appreciate what you’re trying to do, but –”

“Danny, shut up a sec. Five-0 go into situations all the time where people – including our team and victims – get wounded, with not enough time to get medical help. You could really make a difference for those people. You’d meet hundreds of young people with no future whose lives you could potentially turn around. With you sticking around…” Steve let the excited look in his eyes say the rest.

Danny was quiet again. Steve let him mull it over, silently worrying that he’d made the situation even worse. If that was even possible.

 

_Anything is possible with you._

 

“… there’d be a lot less tequila going spare,” Danny said, finishing Steve’s sentence and looking right at him with eyes overflowing with love.

“Probably,” Steve choked, leaning down on Danny’s chest. He felt soft hands card in his hair and he took a deep breath of Danny.

 

_Why do you smell like home?_

 

“I want every Saturday off, for Gracie’s swimming lessons. Oh, and maybe rather importantly, I should probably finish my foundation training in Queens before I even think about saying yes. And – Steven…?”

“What? I’m applying pressure. The paramedic said to.”

“Okay, first thing – you’re doing it wrong. Second – that’s super gross. You’ll get covered in my body fluids.”

“I don’t know. That wouldn’t be so bad,” Steve retorted, chuckling through his tears.

Danny blushed, put a hand on Steve’s forehead and laughed as hard as he could without rupturing his spleen.

“Third thing – what about us? Technically, you’d be my boss, which might make things a little weird for everyone,” Danny said, recovering his composure.

“Danno? I think it’s glaringly obvious who is and always will be the boss in our relationship,” Steve joked, meaning every word. Danny relaxed again under Steve’s touch and Steve was definitely counting that as a win.

 

_Thank you, God, thank you._

 

They stayed like that for the rest of the journey. When the doors of the ambulance opened, that’s how they found them, holding hands.

“Hey, Dr Danno!” one of the nurses yelled in surprise. “You don’t start for a few hours, you’re early!”

“Well,” Danny replied. “Boyfriend thought he’d drop me off early.”

 

_Damn that feels good to say._

 

“Are we okay?” Steve whispered into Danny’s chest, as they detached the various lines holding Danny hostage in the ambulance.

“Babe… we’re more than okay. We’re the best,” Danny replied, giving Steve his most beautiful smile to date. Steve held the image close to his heart as his Danny disappeared into the bowels of the hospital in a flurry of hospital scrubs.


	18. This is Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay... first off, this is NOT the last chapter, there’ll be at least one more to come! This was a tricky chapter to write and I didn’t want to rush what I have in store for you! I hope you enjoy it! It’s two evenings worth of work, written in my new hospital accommodation.
> 
> This is a brilliant distraction from my new ward, where the people are pretty unfriendly. Hey ho, here you go! Here’s our boys, back at what they do best.

Danny checked his watch for the tenth time in the last five minutes. He was parked up in his Camaro outside Steve’s house, waiting impatiently for his partner in crime to grace him with his presence. He scratched his stomach, his stitches itching uncomfortably in the tropical heat. He turned the air conditioning up to max, blasting a cool wave of freshness across his body, and rolled down his window. Danny knew he was being impatient. And he didn’t care.

_Get a move on, McGarrett._

This was a big day. Their second date. They’d talked about it for weeks. Ground rules had been scrupulously set. What shoes to wear, when to take them off. What words were appropriately clean for a nine year old girl to hear and civil enough for a bitter ex-wife to not snap at. The very strict rule about not punching anybody.

It was the first time Steve was going to meet Grace. And he had been very, very excited this afternoon.

_So what the heck is taking him so long?_

Danny’s stomach heaved and griped with nerves. It was going to look bad enough, an ex-drug dealing dad arriving for his weekly supervised evening with his daughter, turning up on the doorstep with his brand new /boyfriend/, and the last thing Danny wanted to be was —

“Late,” Danny called to Steve as he emerged from his front door. In the gloom, Danny couldn’t make out much besides the fact that Steve was hurrying, dropping his keys by the door in the darkness. He stumbled towards Danny’s car, his mumbles of /Sorry, Danno/ becoming more distinct as he loped towards the car in six of those freakishly gigantic strides of his.

“... is the one thing I don’t want to be tonight, Steven,” Danny moaned, as Steve slid into the passenger seat. In the light of the car, Danny saw a sight that almost made him implode. Something he’d never, ever thought he’d live to see.

“So why does my watch say 6:47 when I said I’d pick you up at 6:45?”

Steve shrugged and swooped in for a kiss as a reply. His lips silenced Danny’s rant for the briefest of sweet moments.

“What... are you wearing?” Danny asked, an expression of sheer horror on his face.

Steve straightened his burgundy tie, looking for all the world as uncomfortable as a pit bull terrier in a tuxedo. Danny was pretty sure he was melting into his car seat in just his board shorts and T shirt, and here Lieutenant Commander Steven J McGarrett was wearing —

“A tie, Daniel,” Steve quipped. “I thought you were familiar with the concept of formal attire.” He said it as if he hadn’t just made the most romantic gesture in the world to Danny, who, for want of a better expression, was shocked into sheer speechlessness.

“You... clean up nice, babe,” Danny replied, carefully sliding the Camaro into reverse, forcing himself to focus on the road and not on his personal 007.

*

Their drive was quiet, which was nice, but odd. No arguments. No bickering. No dramatised fights over Danny’s music on the radio, how slowly he was driving, his obsession with stopping for every single red light. Of which there were many. Steve’s eyes were introspective, clearly thinking hard about something, looking out but not focusing on the Hawaii that he loved, bathed in moonlight.

_Uh-oh. Trouble in paradise._

“What’s the matter, babe?” Danny probed, gently poking Steve in his thigh with his right hand. Steve started, broken from a train of intense thought. He turned and looked to Danny with worried lines pinching the bridge of his nose, and said —

“What if Gracie doesn’t like me?”

Danny was stunned. He hadn’t considered that, had never considered that Steve was capable of feeling... insecure. He’d been more preoccupied with devising strategies to avoid Rachel turning them both away at the door, with some snooty comment about two men dating being /the opposite of setting a good example for my daughter, Daniel/.

Danny shook the thought off, shifting gear again so that he could grab Steve’s hand as they slowed for yet another set of lights.

“Babe, you’re a badass ninja Navy SEAL. You realise that kids Gracie’s age want to be just like you when they grow up, right?”

“Really?” Steve replied, studying his shoelaces like a map of the universe.

“Oh my god, babe, */yes/*. Think about it. Most kids’ parents are boring accountants or doctors... she’s gonna worship you like you invented the iPad.”

Steve smiled shyly, his face settling into a more relaxed expression.

“You don’t think she’ll be scared of me?” Steve asked, looking almost exactly like the cutest, softest, fluffiest, least-threatening human being Danny had ever seen. He took a moment to overcome the urge to pull the car over and do... things... to Steve, then told him —

“Babe, Lieutenant Commander Steven J McGarrett may be a name that makes villains quake in their boots, but my Steve? He’s the kindest guy I know and I can tell you for a fact that, Grace? Buddy, she is gonna love you. If anything, I’m kinda worried she might love you too much and I might have to start accompanying /you/ to weekly visits with her.”

“Thanks, _booboo_.”

“Ack, why did you have to ruin it?” Danny moaned. But the look on Steve’s beaming face was worth more than all of the gold in the world.

“I love you, Danno.”

“Love you too, _Cookie_.”

*

The doorbell pealed out in the silence. Steve scuffed his shoes on the porch, which was much larger and grander than any porch had a right or need to be. Stan and Rachel’s “house” was more of a mansion, in a nice part of the suburbs, where Steve seldom visited to interrogate perps. For all its atrocious wealth and glamour, a lonely, lifeless quality clung to the hedgerows, marble statues and dimmed windows. Steve, for his part in challenging the statute of soulless capitalism, diligently wiped his shoes on the front step, trying to remove any trace of dirt from them before the door opened. He ignored the look Danny was giving him. He didn’t want anyone thinking he was some kind of animal dragging mud inside. Especially not Gracie.

Steve jumped as the imposing door swung open, and he fought the urge to stand to attention, like he was back in the barracks. Instead of a menacing Navy corporal or even a bitter ex-wife on the other side of the rosewood door, Steve beheld a tiny, tanned little girl in a blue polo shirt, hair done up in untidy pigtails, clutching an Action Man in one hand. It was clear that she’d been ready to leap into Danny’s arms the moment the door opened, but now she had come up across an obstacle she wasn’t sure how to navigate.

_Steve._

Grace Williams looked up at Steven McGarrett and he felt her intently analyse him warily, searching for cues that said friend or foe. Steve held his breath and prayed she’d decide friend.

“Hey, monkey,” Danny said, in the most gentle voice Steve had ever heard. “Danno’s here to see you. And...” Danny gave Steve a helpful half-shove forward. “I brought a friend with me who’s super excited to meet you. Be nice though because he’s kinda shy.”

Grace chewed her bottom lip, brown eyes never leaving Steve’s for an instant.

“Are you a nurse?” Grace asked quietly, eyes flashing to Danny for confirmation. Steve blushed and Danny laughed out loud at that one. Steve stopped down to one knee and held his hands up gently, determined to recover some of his street cred.

“Hi Gracie, my name’s Steve. I love your hair. But why do you think I’m a nurse? How do you know I’m not a doctor like your daddy?” Steve asked, keeping his voice tender and cheery.

“You don’t look like one,” Grace replied flatly, without missing a beat.

_Okay, two guesses who she most takes after_.

Danny recovered enough from his fit of giggles to say, “No, monkey, Steve is more like... a real-life superhero.”  
  
Grace’s mouth fell open and her eyes sparkled with excitement. Steve may have glowed a little and felt slightly that his heart might burst with pride.

“Like Spider-Man?” Grace asked, the picture of innocence.

“Eh, he’s more like Deadpool,” Danny deadpanned. Grace giggled and swang on the door, eyeing both men on the porch with mischief in her eyes.

“Danno’s missed you, Gracie. Can I have a Monkey Hug?” Danny asked, holding his arms open wide for her inevitable reply.

And there his arms stayed, empty of everything but air as Grace surged towards, dodging Danny’s hug and wrapping herself around Steve’s leg like an eel. She giggled and clung on as Steve stood up, lifting her high into the air like a big, friendly giant. Danny gave up and joined them, tickling his little girl in an attempt to dislodge her from Steve. Grace shrieked with delight and clung tighter. The three of them shared a spectacular moment of love and laughter none of them would ever forget.

And then —

“Daniel.”

Steve looked up into a cold pair of unfeeling brown eyes, belonging to Danny’s ex-wife, who was standing stiffly in the doorway dressed in a smart blue dress. Steve’s eyes followed the curves of her body to her arm, where it was linked with the arm of a short, balding man wearing a ridiculous moustache, an expensive-looking watch and chino pants the same colour of his wife’s dress. The two of them stood there arm-in-arm awkwardly, like two imposing gargoyles, frozen in time and unblinking.

“And who is — this?” Rachel demanded, flicking her eyes towards Steve like he was a piece of filth on the heel of her favourite Louboutin.

“Hello Stan... Rachel,” Danny began, his voice spun like well-practiced silk. “This is my... partner. His name’s Steve.”

“And he’s a superhero!” Grace bellowed, swinging from Steve’s arm tempestuously.

Rachel glared at her ex-husband.

“I told you, Daniel. Your visitation rights are very clear. None of your...” she spat the word, “friends... are welcome here.” Rachel tossed her curled brown hair dismissively. Danny visibly stiffened like he’d been punched in the stomach.

“Rachel. You know I don’t... do that any more. Steve is my... boyfriend. We’ve been going out for six months, and I just thought it would be nice to introduce him to Gracie.”

Rachel made a face to make Medusa jealous, but Stan made the effort to extend one short arm out of his palace towards Steve and give him a brisk smile.

“Hi, Steve, I’m Stan.”

“I know,” Steve replied, unflinching from the stares that followed in the deathly silence.

“C’mon, Danno... Steve...” Grace interrupted. “The movie is just about to start! I put it on my iPad on Netflix and I fixed the remote with batteries and everything and then you press the blue button and now it’s on the TV!” And with that declaration, Generation Z charged into the bowels of the mansion, flying her Action Man in front of her like a fighter plane.

“Well done, monkey,” Danny called after her. Then he looked at Rachel desperately to throw him a lifeline. Stan held his hands up, reached past his wife and pulled the door open fully.

“Come on in, guys. Grace is a smart girl, she knows you’re a good one already, Steve,” Stan stated, like he was acquiring a new business partner.

Steve smiled, following Danny as they were ushered inside by their hosts.

“I’m doing this as a one-off favour, Daniel. But you’d better not behave... inappropriately in front of Grace,” Rachel lectured. “She has enough ideas floating around her head these days. I mean, honestly. The maid caught her marrying her two Action Men yesterday!”

Rachel and Stan laughed like there was a joke in that sentence. Steve and Danny followed them down a long corridor which seemed to have been built simply to house their collection of original art from around the world. They bumped shoulders and let their hands brush together, pinkies latching on to each other so they could hold hands discreetly.

”Did you text them?” Danny whispered into Steve’s ear.

”Yup,” Steve whispered back, letting his lips press a kiss into Danny’s stubbled cheek.

They smiled at the little joke that was their life.

_This is life._


	19. Ohana

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter. 
> 
> I’ve never written anything so long, this has been so much fun! But it’s goodbye for now from Dr Matt and Dr Danno. Thank you all so much for coming on this amazing journey with me. 
> 
> Here’s to McDanno!

Danny sat on an aubergine, designer sofa beside his ex-wife and her husband, while his boyfriend microwaved popcorn in the kitchen and his daughter chose a movie on Netflix. And he wondered vaguely when his life had gotten so blissfully complicated.

Danny stared at his shoes. Stan checked the time on his phone. Rachel broke the awkward silence.

“So, um, Steve seems nice, Daniel,” she stated in a voice like strained yoghurt. “Even if it is a he is a little... different, compared to what you usually... what does he do, again?”

Grace beat him to it. Ears sharp as knives, damnit.

“Danno’s boyfriend is a superhero! He keeps us safe from all the bad guys!” she stated proudly. Danny wondered idly whether the popping noises coming from the kitchen were popcorn or Steve’s head having finally gotten too big.

“Monkey, I never said he was my boyfriend,” Danny protested feebly. Grace fixed him with a look like he’d told her that unicorns weren’t real. She giggled and gave Danny her best gremlin smile.

“We learned about it in school, Danno,” Grace continued happily. “Miss Grover said that it’s okay to have two dads. She said that when two boys love each other very much —“

“Right,” Rachel interrupted, flushing crimson. “So he’s... what? Army?”

“Rachel, I beg you, do _not_ open that particular can of worms right now,” Danny pleaded. “Or none of us will get to watch a movie tonight. Trust me on this one.”

Something shifted in Rachel’s eyes, something deep and dark, hidden from everyone’s eyes but Danny’s. The facade slipped, just for a moment, and Danny what saw was raw and vulnerable.

“So... how long have you felt this way?” Rachel asked, using her tone and eyes to insinuate _how long have you been gay for?_

Danny sighed through the rising pit of guilt in his stomach, and lowered his voice, trying to ignore fact that Stan, who belonged stoically at the top of his Kill List, could hear everything he was saying.

“I don’t know, Rach. I didn’t know. I didn’t know I didn’t know. But then...”

Stan shocked them all into silence by speaking for the first time since inviting Danny and Steve into his home.

“I think it’s a good thing.”

Ex-husband and ex-wife were temporarily united in the expression of shock on their faces.

“What?” Stan defended. “I’m just saying. The world is changing, Rachel. Lots of, uh, the gays are doing well for themselves these days. You can even get gay married in some states.”

“Ooh, ooooh, oooooooooh!” Grace squeaked. “Danno, can I be your flower girl? Cos last time I wasn’t born yet and I couldn’t.”

“Now, hold up one second, Monkey,” Danny replied. He spared a quick glance at Steve, whose expression was calm but otherwise impossible to read.

_It’s legal in Hawaii. And New Jersey._

Stan settled back into his seat as if he’d solved one of the great mysteries of quantum mechanics and string theory.

“It’ll be good for Gracie, make her more open-minded, give her a different perspective on life. That’s all I think.”

Rachel had been glaring at her husband since he used the word _gay_ , but now stopped, her face resolving into something like acceptance. She swallowed hard and nodded.

Danny ducked his head and blushed. That strangely meant a lot, their approval. Danny knew in his heart that his parents would never accept him being with Steve. They’d see him as an embarrassment, another failure on Danny’s part. They’d look right past how happy Danny was and see only what the Church had taught them to see. Buggery and damnation.

 _If this feeling in my heart is wrong, then I don’t want to be right_.

“Th - thanks, I think,” Danny managed to stammer. “Rachel, look, I know it’s not what you were expecting, but... me and Steve —“

Danny’s voice trailed off as Steve chose that moment to walk back into the room, drawing everyone’s attention with the homely smell of popcorn. Danny thought he looked kind of sweet; standing in his shirt and tie and bare socks, precariously balancing three pink bowls of popcorn. One salty for Rachel and Stan. One sweet for him and Danny. And one smaller bowl of toffee popcorn - Gracie’s favourite. Which, Danny noted, Steve had brought along especially for her.

Steve was a good listener.

Danny made a mental note that tonight was finally the night to find out exactly what else his goofball of a partner was good at.

“Popcorn’s ready,” Steve said goofily, his eyes smiling at Danny. Their eyes met across the room and everything else in the world melted away.

“Eeeeeeeeee!” Grace squealed in delight, momentarily forgetting Netflix in her excitement. She approached Steve and held out her hands for her small bowl and gratefully received it, eyes wide with hunger.

“Thanks —“ Grace began, then stopped short. Her eyes scrunched up with confusion and she tilted her head, looking up at Steve looking down at her.

“What’s wrong, Gracie? Don’t you like toffee?” Steve asked, getting down on his haunches to place a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“I do!” Grace replied. “But... I dunno... am I ‘spose to call you Daddy?” She looked to Danny and her mom for confirmation.

But it was Steve who came up with the reply.

“Gracie, you can call me whatever you like. But, maybe if you call Danno and Stan your dads... maybe I can be your Uncle Steve?”

Danny was pretty sure that everyone in the room could hear the soft sound of his heart breaking.

“Gracie, how are we looking on that movie?” Danny asked, struggling to keep his voice level against the rising tide of his emotions.

“Almost!” Grace sang in her best soprano, working away on the remote control with practised ease.

“Awesome!” Steve warbled back in a falsetto that set Grace howling with laughter.

Steve stopped hovering and somehow squeezed himself into the small space on the sofa to Danny’s right, wedging their bodies close together, crushing both of their arms a little uncomfortably.

“Comfy?” Steve whispered low in his ear, setting the nerves on Danny’s body on fire and making him shudder.

“Well, I’m certainly cosy,” Danny replied, squirming his arm out from under Steve’s solid weight. Steve sighed and lifted his arm up, laying it around Danny’s shoulders like a pillow made of biceps.

“Stop squirming, Danno,” Steve coaxed gently, balancing their bowl of popcorn in his right hand like precious cargo.

“Yeah, Danno, stop squirming,” Grace mimicked delightedly.

And so Danny did. He settled into the crook between Steve’s shoulder and chest and tried to imagine how life could possibly get better than this.

The Disney castle sparked into life on the sixty inch LCD screen across the living room, fireworks exploding around it in a definition Danny hadn’t thought was possible.

“Oh, Grace,” Stan said, clearly exasperated. “We watched this last weekend.”

“But it’s my favourite!” Grace defended.

Animated men soon started singing and cutting blocks of ice for some unspecified reason. Curiously, Danny imagined Steve was humming along to the tune.

“Daddy, Steve, look! It’s baby Kristoff and Sven, cutting the ice!” Grace shouted excitably. “They’re sooooo cute as babies!”

“Awww,” Danny crooned. He leaned closer to Steve’s ear, trying to ignore Steve’s musk and how dizzy it made him.

“Hey. Who are Kristoff and Sven?” Danny whispered.

“Shhh,” Steve hushed, reminding Danny of the museum. “The little kid and the reindeer.”

”Are they singing about child labour?”

“Shhhhh. Sort of. Now shhh.”

The realisation hit Danny like an icicle to the heart.

“Oh my god. We’re watching Frozen, aren’t we?” he demanded.

“It’s a killer movie,” Steve replied indignantly.

“I wish your Navy buddies could see you right now, McGarrett.”

“Danno, shhhhh!” Grace whined. “You’re ruining it.”

Steve hid his snigger in the palm of his hand.

“Three years I’ve avoided watching this movie. And now you’ve conspired with my daughter to force me to watch it against my will. This is all your fault. You soulless bastard. I hate you,” Danny whispered, maybe overreacting slightly.

“You don’t hate me, you love me,” Steve retorted simply.

Danny started to form a comeback in his mind. He really did. But then he saw the look of awe on Grace’s face at hearing that and decided to let this one go. He sank deeper into Steve’s shoulder, letting his eyes close.

*

He woke up to Grace squealing at him to wake up, because the best song was next. The first thing he saw was Steve looking tenderly down at him. He pressed a quick kiss to Danny’s forehead, making Danny moan sleepily.

“Yeah, wake up, Danno,” Steve murmured. “The best bit is about to start.”

The doorbell rang out ominously from the hallway. Rachel and Stan made a face at each other. Steve and Danny made a very different face at each other.

Stan got to his feet. “I didn’t think we were expecting any more visitors?”

“We’re not,” Rachel replied resolutely, frowning at Danny, who struggled to keep his face innocent.

“I’ll get it,” Steve offered. “Gracie, do you wanna give me a hand?”

Grace glowed with responsibility. “Sure, Uncle Steve, let me pause the movie. This is my favourite bit because Elsa...” Her voice trailed off like a wisp of cloud as they headed down the corridor hand-in-hand.

“What are you up to, Daniel?” Rachel demanded once Grace was out of earshot.

“Who? Me? Up to something? What are you talking about, Rach?” Danny lied terribly, struggling to hide the excitement from his eyes and voice.

A sudden shriek pierced the tense air, coming from the hallway, unmistakably from Grace. Rachel and Stan, to there credit, were halfway down the hall before Danny could blink twice. He followed them, shaking his head and smoothing his hair back, wondering not for the first time if this was a good idea after all.

Danny stepped out of the front door into what can only be described as a Frozen wonderland, starring the cast of Five-0.

A very round Olaf - Kamekona. A very elegant Anna - Kono. A very dashing Kristoff - Chin. And some spare costumes in their hands.

“Howzit, little sista,” Olaf said to Grace, lifting her high in the air to her sheer delight. “My name’s Olaf and I like warm hugs... and chilli shrimp.” He gave her a warm embrace to his costumed chest and set her gently down by Kristoff’s pointy shoes.

“Hello, Queen Elsa,” Kristoff said in a voice that was mysteriously similar to Chin’s calm tones. He bowed lowly, which Grace returned with a giggle and a curtsey.

“Big sister!” Princess Anna shouted excitedly. “We’ve been looking everywhere for you! Where have you been, brah?” She stopped low to wrap Grace in a close hug. “And you forgot your crown!”

The three characters gathered close around Grace and placed a small lei of roses on her head. Grace looked absolutely star struck, surrounded by her favourite movie characters. Danny wiped away tears from his eyes and took a quick snap of her on his phone.

_Never, ever erasing that. Sorry in advance, Grace-of-the-future._

“I’ve got you guys on my pyjamas,” Grace told her heroes, pointing at her pink, cosy T shirt where their cartoon likenesses were indeed printed. Then she saw Steve, walking out of the house past Danny and towards her.

_Dressed in a furry onesie and with toy antlers projecting from his head._

“Oh my gosh, Sven!” Queen Elsa declared, holding out her arms wide for one last hug. “Danno, this is the best weekend ever!”

Rachel and Stan stood on their porch, absolutely gobsmacked.

“Daniel — this is — you know, we were going to take her to Disneyland in the fall... but this —“ Rachel put her hand to her mouth and held back her tears.

“This is awesome,” Stan breathed. “How did you even plan all of this?”

“I didn’t,” Danny replied, looking at the beautiful, kind, wonderful man in the antlers who had planned everything, who was lifting his daughter onto his shoulders. 

“I love you, Steve,” Danny called to his partner, eyes and face wet. 

“I love you too, Danno,” Sven called back. “Now hurry up and get in costume, you’re the scary snow monster.”

Danny chuckled and thanked his lucky stars for everything in the world, all of these people laid out underneath the stars.

This was love. This was everything Danny had ever wanted. This was — oh damnit. He was pretty sure Steve had taught him a word for it once.

Oh, that’s it.

_Ohana_


End file.
